The Wellness Mama Podcast

Episode Highlights With Mindy
Cutting through the myth… can women fast and what we need to do differently
How to navigate fasting with a female hormone cycle and why it is so important 
The three types of women and how each fasts differently 
There are times when women shouldn’t fast and times when it can be a game changer
We have two metabolisms: glucose and ketones and how to use them differently 
Somewhere 8-12 hours after food we shift to ketones 
The healing switches that turn on when we fast
What flex fasting is and how she helps people find what works best for them
Perimenopause and menopause specific fasting guidelines
The cortisol component and how to pay attention to this part
Can fasting be brain protective post menopause 
When to fast and when not to, and the most important meal you eat after fasting 
The important nutrients to focus on after fasting and the story about leucine 
Let’s stop making beans the enemy! And her take on sardine fasting 
Supplements she most often recommends and why 
The one food group that kills our ability to make our own GLP (it might surprise you)
Order of food matters, not just the amount and type! 
Important concerns with GLPs and how to make your own and not lose muscle!
Resources Mentioned
Mindy's books - Fast Like a Girl, Age Like a Girl and Eat Like a Girl
Mindy's YouTube channel
Stress questionnaire
Live like a girl podcast
Bioptimizers
I love and use so many products from them, but I especially love the magnesium (Magnesium Breakthrough) and digestive enzymes (Masszymes). Visit bioptimizers.com/wellnessmama to get the best deal!

Episode Highlights With Stef
His work with gold medalists, special forces soldiers and elite entrepreneurs and the wound that always shows up
What people call chemistry is actually nervous system dysregulation
We move toward what feels familiar even if it is dysfunctional
The nervous system is a hidden matchmaker often operating in the background
Why do we want to create situations that feel familiar 
These circumstances are the body’s attempt to have a re-do and move from disempowerment to empowerment 
We heal relationally and we are relational beings
The somatic aspect of integrating and processing this
Big T vs little t trauma 
Why this process doesn’t start with logic or cognition and must involve all parts including the body
We avoid our truth because we make it mean something 
Curiosity not judgement
Resources Mentioned
Tuned In and Turned On by Stef Sifandos
Follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and on X
Stef's website

Episode Highlights With Katie
Why healing often requires unlearning more than learning
The invisible beliefs, identities, and patterns that kept me stuck … even when I was doing “all the right things”
How clinging to control, perfection, and certainty created more stress than peace
The surprising nervous-system science behind letting go (and why your biology resists it)
How my identity as a “fixer,” “caretaker,” and “high achiever” held me back from true healing
How rewriting internal stories (“I am responsible for everything” ? “I am allowed to live with ease”) transformed my health, business, parenting, and relationships
How grief, loss, and major life transitions became openings rather than endings
Why releasing old stories frees up enormous energy, creativity, and resilience
Practical ways to start letting go in your own life … without fear, force, or overwhelm
The difference between surrender and giving up, and how to tell which one you’re doing
How to trust yourself, your body, and your path even when it doesn’t fit the old rules
Resources Mentioned
Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender by David R Hawkins, MD
Awareness: Conversations with the Masters by Anthony De Mello
Just Thrive:
Just Thrive Health has been one of my longtime favorite brands for gut health and they have an amazing Daily Gut Detox. Your immune system, gut barrier, and digestion get the support they need to stay strong and healthy. You can find this and their probiotics at justthrivehealth.com/wellnessmama or use code wellnessmama for 20% off your order. 
Hiya
Hiya created a super powered chewable vitamin for kids that packs twelve organic fruits and vegetables plus fifteen essential vitamins and minerals into every dose. Try it at hiyahealth.com/wellnessmama.

Episode Highlights With David
Why living an adventurous lifestyle is so good for your brain and body
Being sedentary is one of the biggest things that threatens brain health- here’s why
Why he considers brain defenders the most urgent and important thing he’s ever written
What the brains immune system is and why this is vital to understanding long term brain health
Microglial cells and why these matter
Why it isn’t just about beta amyloid plaques for alzheimer's and why this thinking was harmful
The reason many drugs designed to address alzheimer's are not just ineffective but dangerous
How one study showed completely stopping the decline of alzheimer's with lifestyle intervention and actually showed improvement
Nurturing mitochondrial function helps the brain support M2 cells that are protective
Brain metabolism mirrors the body’s metabolism and how being metabolically healthy protects the brain
Even one night of non-restorative sleep can impact the brain
Exercise is a tonic for the brain and bathes the brain in protective compounds
How to protect the brain from the problems of less sleep even postpartum (there is an amazing built in protective mechanism from oxytocin)
Why this means human connection is brain protective as well and community matters for brain health
What the latest research says about statins and what we need to understand 
His take one gamma light, olfactory signaling and hyperbaric for brain health
Resources Mentioned
Brain Defenders: Harness the Power of Your Immune Cells to Protect Your Brain for Life by David Perlmutter, MD
Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain for Life by David Perlmutter, MD
Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers by David Perlmutter, MD
Jaspr Air Filter
LMNT
I talk often about the health benefits of salt and electrolytes and I am a big fan of LMNT canned drinks and packets. Go to drinklmnt.com/wellnessmana for a special offer.
Hiya
Hiya created a super powered chewable vitamin for kids that packs twelve organic fruits and vegetables plus fifteen essential vitamins and minerals into every dose. Try it at hiyahealth.com/wellnessmama.

Episode Highlights With Nat
Her experience with homesteading, homeschooling and native plants
Reasons to plant some native things in your yard!
Her recovery from Autoimmune disease with circadian health
How she reversed Hashimoto's naturally 
We are circadian beings, and our cells need light to produce the proper hormones and responses
Nonna-maxxing and living like Italian grandmas
Intuition getting stronger from the sun and why this happens
Where did this disconnect happen and why we got taught to fear the sun
Why morning light is non-negotiable and the most important thing
Excess weight can be connected to trapped emotions and energy 
The body is always on our side
What sun scoops is and how it helps the body respond to sun
Why melanin is important and why a tan isn’t just skin damage 
The protective role of melanin beyond just the skin
Why she chose to go sober and says it was the best decision of her adult life
The power of grief to transform and awaken
We heal by feeling
Resources Mentioned
Get Sun Scoops here
Follow Sun Scoops on Instagram
Heal Yourself With Sunlightbook
Just Thrive:
Just Thrive Health has been one of my longtime favorite brands for gut health and they have an amazing Daily Gut Detox. Your immune system, gut barrier, and digestion get the support they need to stay strong and healthy. You can find this and their probiotics at justthrivehealth.com/wellnessmama or use code wellnessmama for 20% off your order. 
BONCHARGE
I like so many of their products - from their red light products to their sauna blankets. Red light has been so helpful for me during my recovery from Hashimoto's. To find out more, go to boncharge.com/wellnessmama