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When Alisa Vitti started college at Johns Hopkins University, she didn’t just gain the “Freshman 15,” she put on 60 pounds. Her acne went from mild, teenage breakouts to full-blown cystic acne and she developed severe insomnia, anxiety, and depression. The symptoms were triggered by hormonal issues, which also led to her only getting her period 6 times in a decade. After seven years of trying to get a diagnosis, she realized she had to figure something out herself. She found a journal of obstetrics and gynecology in the school library, which led her to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Listen to her remarkable story of how she reversed her PCOS and then dedicated her life and career to helping women heal hormonal issues. Topics include: Why PMS shouldn’t be a joke, why your period while taking the pill really isn’t a period, how hormonal birth control affects future fertility, how being on the pill covers up pre-existing conditions, the alarming rise of precocious puberty, the importance of addressing hormonal issues when you’re young, how meal timing affects the endocrine system, what your period blood can tell you, and much, much more. Join the conversation at the written version of this interview here https://getwellbe.com/changemakers/alisa-vitti-hormones-pcos 

Most of us know that you get vitamin D from the sun, but the knowledge generally stops there. This is a problem, since vitamin D is incredibly important for some major bodily processes — and because it's nearly impossible to get enough vitamin D naturally (especially if you live in the northern part of the world). In this episode, we break down everything you need to know about vitamin D, including how your body processes it, what it does, its three main sources, the best foods for vitamin D, how to make sure you're getting enough, and more. Join the conversation on the written version of the article here: https://getwellbe.com/guides/taking-vitamin-d/

If you've been anywhere on the internet in the past few years, you've doubtlessly heard about intermittent fasting, also known as IF. There are a lot of bold claims circulating about IF, as well as many different approaches, from the relatively laid-back to the extreme. We sat down with Dr. Amy Shah, a double board-certified physician and expert in intermittent fasting, to learn everything you need to know about intermittent fasting. Listen to the episode to learn the science behind IF, why Dr. Shah recommends a particular type of IF called circadian fasting, how to find the right eating window for the best results, how to get started with fasting, and much more. Join the conversation on the written version of the article here: https://getwellbe.com/changemakers/circadian-fasting-dr-amy-shah/

If you suffer from migraines, you know they can be absolutely debilitating. Even worse, there's no one guaranteed way to treat them, and many of the most common medications have side effects of their own (including sometimes worsening migraine symptoms. Um...what?). Fortunately, there are some natural remedies that have been proven to be as or more effective than prescriptions at relieving and preventing migraines. In this episode, we explore dive deep into both conventional and natural migraine remedies. Listen to learn what exactly a migraine is, common triggers (some might surprise you), the risks of conventional migraine medications, the 6 most effective natural migraine remedies, and much more. Join the conversation on the written version of this article here: https://getwellbe.com/guides/natural-cure-for-migraine/ 

Clinical nutritionist Jessica Flanigan had a picture perfect life — then it all fell apart. In this interview, she shares the story of how her life crumbled around her, and how she found happiness through a radical decision to love her circumstances. The Loving Diet author discusses how she used self-love to fully accept and overcome her life circumstances, and how the same technique can lead to healing physical ailments as well. She also explains why this approach is better in the long-term than any diet, regardless of how effective the diet is in the short-term. Join the conversation on the written version of the interview here: https://getwellbe.com/changemakers/jessica-flanigan-practicing-self-love/

Most medications have side effects, even those you can pick up without a prescription in the drugstore — but some of those side effects are more serious than others. In this episode, Adrienne shares the 5 worst types of over the counter medications in terms of how they impact your long-term health. You might be shocked at some of the serious health risks of the most common non-prescription drugs (we were!). Join the conversation on the written version of the interview here: https://getwellbe.com/guides/dangerous-over-the-counter-medication/  

Adrienne sits down with functional medicine practitioner and ancestral health expert to talk all things detox-related. Kresser discusses the philosophy behind ancestral health, and how that explains why we need to detox today despite our bodies' innate detoxification abilities. They also explore the benefits of detoxing, the four pillars of healthy lifestyle that support your natural detoxification processes, and the two best ways to detox. Plus, an in-depth chat about how and why sauna detox works, and the health benefits of infrared saunas. Join the conversation on the written version of the interview here: https://getwellbe.com/changemakers/chris-kresser-benefits-of-detoxing/  This episode is sponsored by HigherDOSE, offering premier infrared sauna spas in New York City as well as infrared sauna blankets you can use to recreate the experience at home. WellBe fans can get $75 off a sauna blanket with the code WELLBE75. Go to https://bit.ly/3loU9CB to learn more and claim your discount!  

It's been a long time since our last health news & wellness research wrap-up, and a LOT has happened in these past four months! In this episode, Adrienne goes through the top 10 health stories since June of this year, which cover dozens of different studies, policy changes, and breakthroughs. Topics covered include how money is impacting coronavirus research (and the healthcare space in general), surprising new research on how caffeine affects pregnancy outcomes, why showering too much (or using the wrong shower products) can mess with your microbiome, a potentially game-changing new insect repellent, how exercise affects your vaccine response, the connection between gum disease and Alzheimer's risk, shocking racial disparities in health outcomes, and MUCH more. Join the conversation on the written version of the article here: https://getwellbe.com/health-news-research/the-wellbe-health-research-wellness-news-wrap-up-june-to-september-2020/

Dr. Bill Rawls got bit by a Lyme-carrying tick when he was a child, but didn't experience symptoms of Lyme or get a diagnosis until he was near 50! Through his personal experience, research, and practice, he's come to understand that this is because of the relationship between chronic conditions and our immune systems — and because of this, he's found that chronic Lyme is best healed with natural treatments like herbs. Listen to this episode to learn the difference between acute and chronic Lyme disease, what all chronic conditions have in common, why some people react more severely to Lyme than others, which herbs he recommends (and how to take them), and much more. Join the conversation at the written version of this interview: https://getwellbe.com/changemakers/bill-rawls-herbal-treatment-for-lyme-disease/  This episode is sponsored by Sun Warrior, a brand creating organic, non-GMO, plant-based proteins and superfood supplements. Check out their website and use code WellBe20 for a special 20% off discount for our listeners: https://bit.ly/3jKg5b3 

To mark a big birthday this past week, WellBe founder Adrienne Nolan-Smith revisited an exercise she did several years ago to find and achieve her life purpose. Not only does having a purpose in life make it easier for you to get out of bed every morning and give each day greater joy and meaning, it also has major health benefits and can actually help you live longer! Listen to the episode to learn about the Blue Zones study that discovered the link between life purpose and longevity (and what inflammation has to do with it), and hear Adrienne share how she defines a purposeful life for herself. Plus, she’ll guide you through an exercise developed by a Harvard Business School professor that will help you determine your life purpose and how you’ll measure your success. Join the conversation at the written version of this article, here: https://getwellbe.com/inspiration/10-ways-define-life-purpose

In this episode, Adrienne explains what a board-certified patient advocate does, and why she decided to become one. She also delves into the reasons that a patient advocate is so important in the current healthcare landscape (some crazy statistics around medical error), the difference between holistic patient advocacy and general patient advocacy and how this kind of support might be just what you or someone you love needs to kick a nagging chronic health symptom or condition. PLUS, we have a special announcement with a new offering for the WellBe community. Join the conversation on the written version of this episode here: https://getwellbe.com/adriennes-blog/what-is-a-patient-advocate/

When Britt Martin was 25, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, and began chemo. Halfway through treatment, she lost her period, and when doctors recommended birth control a way to get it back, she said no. She was determined to get her period back naturally, and was able to achieve that goal through a practice called seed cycling. Listen to our interview with Britt to learn her incredible health journey, what seed cycling is and how it works, how to start seed cycling at home, the link between flaxseed and estrogen, and much more. Join the conversation on the written version of the article here: https://getwellbe.com/inspiration/seed-cycling-britt-martin/

We all know by now that sugar isn't great for you, which makes zero-calorie artificial sweeteners seem like the perfect alternative. You get all the sweetness without any of the side effects, right? Not so fast. In this episode, we look at the different types of artificial sweeteners, how they impact your body, and what the long- and short-term health risks are. Listen to learn the 4 most common artificial sweeteners in the U.S., which artificial sweetener has been linked to depression, what artificial sweeteners do to your gut, the link between artificial sweetener and gut health, why so many doctors continue to recommend artificial sweeteners to patients, and much more. Join the conversation on the written version of the article here: https://getwellbe.com/guides/side-effects-of-artificial-sweeteners/

As many states across the country begin to re-open (and with open-toed shoe season officially underway), we know that one of the first places a lot of us want to go is the nail salon. But our research has shown us that coronavirus aside, the nail salon is not generally a safe place. So on this week's episode, we're sharing a guide on the health risks of nail salons and how to protect your health while keeping your nails looking gorgeous. Listen to learn the health risks of conventional nail salons and the 3 scariest chemicals they use, simple steps you can take to reduce your health risk when you go to a conventional salon, what to look out for when buying non-toxic nail polish, how to put together a “non-toxic nail kit” you can use at home or bring anywhere, some great non-toxic nail salons around the U.S., and much more! Join the conversation on the written version of the article here: https://getwellbe.com/guides/healthy-nail-polish/  

You may not spend a lot of time thinking about your thyroid health, but you probably should. As we learned in our interview with Dr. Aviva Romm, the thyroid affects basically all of our bodily systems and organs, and it's also extremely sensitive — even more so if you're a woman. In this interview, Dr. Romm shares her incredible career journey (she went to college at 15, was an herbalist and midwife for 2 decades, then became a Yale-trained physician after having 4 kids), and some eye-opening and actionable information on thyroid health. Listen to learn the causes of hypothyroidism, the difference between Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism, what tests to get to assess your thyroid health, the relationship between the thyroid and stress, how thyroid health affects fertility, and much, much, more. Join the conversation on the written version of the article here: https://getwellbe.com/changemakers/reasons-for-hypothyroidism-aviva-romm/ and if you're interested in checking out our brand new Non-Toxic Product List Database, find it here: https://store.getwellbe.com/non-toxic-product-list

There's a lot of important stuff going on in the news right now. Like the rest of us, we're spending most of our days thinking about either the fight for racial equality or the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But we also know that it remains essential to keep yourself healthy, both for your long-term well-being and also so that you can participate in important cultural moments, like the one we're currently in. And in order to stay healthy, you need to stay informed. So to that end, on this week's episode we're discussing the most important pieces of health news from April + May 2020. Listen to learn about: why the FDA recalled all Zantac; how your vitamin D levels relate to your COVID risk; what taking a daily bath does to your heart health; which toxic chemical the Trump administration has decided to leave in our water supply unregulated; how many extra steps per day you need to take to increase your lifespan; and much, much more! Join the conversation on the written version of the article here: https://getwellbe.com/health-news-research/wellness-news-health-research-april-may-2020/ and if you're interested in checking out our brand new Non-Toxic Product List Database, find it here: https://store.getwellbe.com/non-toxic-product-list

Since we're stuck at home, many of us are putting pressure on ourselves to accomplish all of our health and wellness goals now that we finally have the time — and then beating ourselves up when we fail. But this is a vicious cycle that actually makes us LESS likely to achieve our goals. That's why Adrienne hosted a free, research-packed webinar on overcoming shame, self-judgment, and negative self-talk so that you can make real change. In this recorded version of the webinar, you'll learn how many thoughts we have each day and how many of them are negative; the way that shame and negative self-talk impact our brains, our health, and our ability to achieve goals; four research-backed ways to reduce negative self-talk and self-judgment; the key to stopping unhealthy habits permanently and developing healthy ones; and much more. Join the conversation on the written version of this article here:  https://getwellbe.com/guides/overcoming-shame-webinar/

Jessica Ortner's life was completely transformed when she discovered tapping. But what exactly is tapping? In this interview, the bestselling author and creator of The Tapping Solution app shares her story and demystifies this powerful, accessible type of therapy. Listen to learn the research behind tapping, how tapping relates to Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), the nine tapping points, how to tap yourself at home, why tapping is so effective for anxiety, and much more. Join the conversation on the written version of this article here: https://getwellbe.com/changemakers/tapping-for-anxiety-jessica-ortner/

In this week's episode, we're taking a step back, getting back to basics, and digging into the real definitions of common (and confusing) terms in the wellness world. A lot of terms are often used incorrectly or imprecisely, and that matters a lot when it comes to our health. Listen to the episode to learn the definitions of and differences between terms like integrative medicine, functional medicine, natural medicine, naturopathy, conventional medicine, traditional medicine, western medicine, alternative medicine, and more! Join the conversation on the written version of this guide here: https://getwellbe.com/guides/what-is-integrative-medicine/

As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic, every day is starting to feel the same — and for a lot of us, that means the food we're eating is the same too. But according to this week's guest, gastroenterologist Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, even if you're eating the same HEALTHY thing every day, eating the same thing all the time isn't good for you. Why? Because of fiber. Listen to the interview to learn what fiber really is and the different types of fiber (hint: it doesn’t come in a cereal box), why he considers soluble fiber to be “the secret to nutrition” that nobody’s talking about, the important role fiber plays in gut health (it’s not what you think), why a diverse diet matters, and much, much more! Join the conversation on the written version of this article here: https://getwellbe.com/changemakers/will-bulsiewicz-importance-of-fiber-food-diversity/