Listen Now

Some of us find our path in life early, whether due to adversity, chance, or some fire in the soul. For me, food activism was my entry point into all the I now do as a midwife, herbalist, and MD, as well as a mom and a human. My guest today also got a fire in her soul that has also shaped her work early on in her life, and helped her to become the remarkable food activist she is today, Leah Penniman is a Black Kreyol farmer, author, mother, and food justice activist who has been tending the soil and organizing for an anti-racist food system for over 20 years. She currently serves as founding co-executive director of Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, New York, a people-of-color led project that works toward food and land justice. Join us for this important conversation about building a food system free of racism and other inequalities. Show notes at avivaromm.com/140

I’d love to share some common sense ideas with you on how you can raise your family as an eco-warrior in this podcast. It’s not as hard as you think, it doesn't have to be expensive, I know these options are not cheap, and can be hard to budget for, but what's really convincing, is that the results can be significant. We can’t simply wait for policy makers, industry leaders, or the government to change the course of our planetary catastrophe – and with it – our personal health and safety and that of the next generations. The change has to start with us, how we live, what we teach our children, and our own health depends on the many little choices we make each day. So let's get you started! You can read an accompanying article at avivaromm.com/139

In this episode of the Birth Circle I get to sit down with new mama Dr. Jessica Clemons to talk about racial and reproductive justice, and how her experience as a black med student and black pregnant woman impacted her journey to bring her baby boy into this world at home this past April. Dr. Jess, MD, is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist, from Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University NYU Langone Medical Center. While her work is primarily in providing direct clinical care, her mission is to reduce stigma associated with mental illness, particularly in the Black community. For an accompanying article and links, go to avivaromm.com/138

Join me for a dynamic conversation with Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake about their new documentary - The Business of Birth Control. Looking at the complex relationship of hormonal contraception to women’s health and liberation, their film features the stories of activists, doctors and scientists who are blowing the whistle on how hormonal birth control affects the mind and body. The film revisits the 1970’s Nelson Pill Hearings, where feminists disrupted the proceedings to demand informed consent and follows a courageous group of bereaved parents who are fighting to get warning labels on Yaz and NuvaRing fifty years later.

The Birth Circle is a place where we can reclaim the power of support, encouragement, and inspiration – as well as touching into our common sisterhood – through shared stories. The stories of transformation you'll find in this series are here to provide you with insight, inspiration, wisdom, and support. In this episode. Emily Baldoni, actor, entrepreneur, @weareamma co-founder, and mama, shares her experiences with her two births - the first at home, the second a transfer to hospital - the tools that helped her ride the waves of each, and how birth and motherhood have transformed her - and are still - transforming her today.

Magnesium is the most abundant mineral in the body – and it has a role in hundreds of functions. However, many women in the US are low in this important mineral – and you might be feeling the impact. The good news is that increasing your dietary magnesium and taking a daily supplement can quickly reverse symptoms and optimize your mood, sleep, menstrual cycles, daily elimination, and more! It's also one of the minerals I recommend the most frequently in my medical practice – from my teen to wisdom year patients, and I want to share with you how simple it is to use to reverse the common symptoms that are related to having low magnesium levels. Have a listen to learn the basics about magnesium and 10 specific ways it can help you improve your health and alleviate common symptoms – and in a short amount of time.  To read an accompanying article, go to avivaromm.com/134

I am very excited to introduce you to a new series in the Natural MD Radio that is dedicated to reinvigorating this tradition and the power that comes from continuing to share our stories - welcome to the Birth Circle. The Birth Circle is a place where we can reclaim the power of support, encouragement, and inspiration – as well as touching into our common sisterhood – through shared stories. These are real mamas telling their real stories - the intense, the beautiful, the painful, the scary, magical, and weird and everything in between - in order to illuminate, celebrate, and normalize the spectrum of experiences women have during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. The stories of transformation you'll find in this series are here to provide you with insight, inspiration, wisdom, and support. The first Birth Circle episode is with full-spectrum doula, herbalist, and chef, Jovan Sage. I hope you will give it a listen, and tell me what you think.

If it’s taking longer than you thought it would to get pregnant, or if you’ve been told you have a fertility problem, or even if you have a ton of friends who have faced fertility challenges, you might be freaking out a little – or chances are, even a lot. But please don't lose hope or confidence in your body; there’s a lot you can do to supercharge your fertility – and the most powerful place to start is with the foods you eat. In fact, I recommend all women – even if not planning to conceive for a year or more – follow an optimal fertility diet, as not only does it improve likelihood of conception, but it improves overall health for you and baby during pregnancy and beyond. Listen to this episode to learn about my optimal fertility diet - and go to avivaromm.com/133 for a companion article.

In this episode I'm going to teach you all about how the function or dysfunction of your thyroid can be a factor in the function or disfunction of your periods, including whether they are regular, how long, heavy, whether you skip them, and whether you’re ovulating - and how PCOS, ovarian cysts, and more factor in. And of course, I’ll tell you what you can do with 5 steps to take control of your thyroid - and hormonal health - today. For an accompanying article, go to avivaromm.com/132

If that time of the month and period pain gets you curled up in a ball, or stretched out on your sofa binge-watching Netflix hugged up with your best friend at the moment - your hot water bottle - listen to this episode. This may be an herbal medicine that you too will find fascinating, and perhaps one that brings you some relief when you need it. For an accompanying article and show notes go to avivaromm.com/129

My guest today, Shafia Monroe, has been “Birthing CHANGE” all her life. A renowned midwife, doula trainer, motivational speaker, and cultural competency trainer. Shafia, has been appropriately called  the “Queen Mother of the Midwife Movement” for her pioneer midwifery work. Besides her work as a home birth midwife for over 35 years, Shafia has devoted herself to improving birth outcomes in African-American communities, by training midwives and doulas - teaching traditional birth and postpartum practices using the legacy of the 20th century African American midwife. Join us for this inspired conversation with this fountain of grace and wisdom. Show notes can be found at avivaromm.com/128

When you’re pregnant, there’s no shortage of happy chatter about becoming a mom, nor shortage of options for childbirth education classes. However, there’s very little that prepares us either emotionally or physically for something that remains a hushed topic, and yet which 1 in 4 women will experience: miscarriage. In other articles, I’ll walk you through the physical and emotional nuances of miscarriage: why they occur, how to heal physically and emotionally, how to prevent recurrent miscarriage, and much more. But today I want to focus in on what happens in an early pregnancy loss – a miscarriage before 13 weeks – and how to experience a miscarriage at home: why you might want to, the options for doing so safely, and when to seek urgent medical care. For the accompanying article go to avivaromm.com/127

In this episode I address the overall risks of COVID-19 with various autoimmune conditions, as well as risks for those of you on immunosuppressive medications. This information is not meant to replace your doctor’s advice, and should merely serve as a starting point for a conversation with your health care provider, and to raise your personal health awareness. And I hope it provides you with a sense of support and reassurance. To read an accompanying article go to avivaromm.com/126.

While herbs are an important part of my life and work, this is really a time to be cautious about who you listen to and conservative about what you try. In this episode I urge everyone to follow the CDC precautions for the prevention of COVID-19, adding in the importance of eating well and getting enough rest. For those of you who want to try herbs and supplements to support your immunity, I discuss which herbs and supplement are safe and have enough evidence in supporting immunity that they seem worth a try. For a companion article, go to avivaromm.com/125.

If you’re pregnant, naturally, you’re concerned about COVID-19 for your own health and your baby’s. Who wouldn’t be? While a thorough search of the medical literature and the CDC website for data on COVID-19 and pregnancy shows just how very little is known at this time about the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, the good news is that what we do know so far is generally reassuring about the risks to otherwise healthy pregnant women and their babies. For an accompanying article, visit avivaromm.com/124

The only treatments doctors usually recommend for endometriosis include pain medications, hormonal therapies, and surgery. These treatments have big risks, and aren’t always effective. In this episode I share four supplements and herbs that have been scientifically shown to not only help relieve the pain associated with endometriosis, but actually to reduce lesions and cysts. These natural approaches can be used alone or in combination with conventional treatments. If you, or someone you know, has been suffering from endometriosis, tune in to learn how to take control of your health naturally! To read the accompanying article go to http://www.avivaromm.com/123

Many women have never experienced an orgasm. Many women don't know what they like in sex or how to ask for it. And a lot of women are struggling with chronic pelvic pain and other issues from endometriosis and other conditions that can make traditional sex very uncomfortable. Many of those women think this means they can't experience sexual pleasure. For one company, vibrators and sex toys aren't just about the business of pleasure. It's about helping women find empowerment and getting beyond sexual shame. In this episode I speak with Alexandra Fine, CEO of Dame Products.The mission of this company is to design well engineered sex toys to heighten intimacy and to openly empower the sexual experiences of womankind. Their products are also regularly prescribed by doctors as a drug free affordable solution to low libido, arousal disorders, and sexual function issues for those recovering from abuse, cancer, and more. Go to avivaromm.com/122 for a transcript and the show notes.

Hair loss. It fills our hair brushes, our sink drains, and our nightmares. It also brings a lot of women to my medical practice.  Up to 50% of women will experience significant amount of hair loss in their life. In this episode we explore the common causes of hormonal hair loss and what you can do about it. For the accompanying article and show notes, go to avivaromm.com/121.

Being a new momma can feel over the top exhausting at times - a lot of the time, in fact. But being a new mom with a thyroid problem can feel like holding baby while pushing a piano up a hill. Over the top. And it’s not just a slow functioning thyroid that can be making this time in your life feel crazy. An overactive thyroid can be keeping you from getting sleep and can riddle you with anxiety. You should not have to suffer. Neither should any new mom you know. Welcome to Natural MD Radio episode 120 - What New Moms Need to Know About Their Thyroid - to learn about a problem that’s affecting 1 in 12 new moms, and for which they are notoriously told by doctors and even well-meaning friends and family that “it’s just being a new mom” that has you feeling this way. It’s not, and there’s something you can do. Read the companion article at avivaromm.com/120

Healthy thyroid function is essential to the physical and emotional health of pregnant women and to new moms. It’s also critical for the health of the baby. This is such an important topic that I’ve brought this popular podcast episode and blog back for an encore. I discuss the risks of undiagnosed thyroid problems for mom and baby, how thyroid function changes during pregnancy, and why it’s important for all pregnant women to get complete thyroid testing. You’ll also learn how to advocate for yourself to get the testing that you need, and the steps to take once you have your results. Read the companion article at avivaromm.com/119