Do you ever talk to yourself? Do you ever feel crazy for talking to yourself?  Who is really in our heads?  Ethan Kross explores those voices in our heads in his book, CHATTER: The Voices in our Head, Why it Matters, and How to Harness It (2021).   Kristen and Eleanor decided to take a few episodes to really dig into why we talk to ourselves, why it sometimes backfires on us, and how we help ourselves and others when the voices become hurtful.  We just...

What do you know about taking care of your brain? Is your brain “rusty”? Does your brain have “clogged pipes"? Is it too "sugary"?  Do you worry about your genetic risks?  Is exercise protective against memory loss and good for brain health? What type of exercise is a good choice? What are the costs of pharmacological therapy?  How do you structure a lifestyle to help prevent cognitive decline?  Join Kristen and Eleanor as they talk with Cliff...

Are you afraid of losing your mind? Does lifestyle matter?  We start our conversation with author Cliff Arceneaux, MMS PA-C.  He shares his journey to his very readable first book, KEEPING YOUR MARBLES: A Field Guide for preventing & treating cognitive decline (2022). What are the challenges of treating cognitive decline, and what are the options? Is there any hope for those who see memory problems as a real part of their future? Cliff’s...

What do WMD and WWW stand for? Do you ever phone out? Who did you phub last? Did you mean to? Catherine Price’s book, HOW TO BREAK UP WITH YOUR PHONE, has a fun glossary that shares some new terminology about our behaviors. She develops ideas around these terms throughout her book.  She reminds us about how concentration works and how focus and memory are related. Kristen and Eleanor talk about how our phone use is changing our brains. ...

What is your relationship with your smartphone? When was the last time you were bored? How much time are you spending on social media? Is there a relationship between user engagement and addiction? Is your brain being hacked?  Kristen and Eleanor start a conversation about a very interesting book by Catherine Price, HOW TO BREAK UP WITH YOUR PHONE (2018). She has some great insight into smartphones and our behaviors. Be sure to...

How did George Washington die? What is a bechic blast? Have you ever choked?  Who was Dr. Heimlich? Chevalier Jackson? Wilbur Scoville?  Ever heard of the Mutter Museum of medical history? Why do we yawn? Hiccup? Do we know everything about the body?  Even though there is so much more that Bill Bryson shares in his comprehensive discussion, Kristen and Eleanor (with comments from Tim) wrap up their book club review of THE BODY: A Guide...

Who figured out that fat and health are related? Who are some of the key figures in the scientific history of health and wellness? Who were Ancel Keyes, Nettie Stevens, and Albert Schatz?  Ever wondered who the patients were that submitted to experimentation and new procedures? How did K-rations get their name? Has the nutritional quality of our foods changed over time? Why doesn’t America rank higher on lists of good health? Bill Bryson...

Have you ever thought about the microbial or molecular content of a kiss? If you were going to build a human body, how much would it cost you? Are American, English, and European academic systems and resources similar?  Bill Bryson loves words and their derivation. He explores some questions many of us have had and uses clever word pictures to help us grasp the magnificence of our bodies. We continue to be charmed by this author and the contents of this book....

How much do you know and understand about the workings of your body? Want to learn more without taking a science class? Bill Bryson’s book “THE BODY: An Occupants Guide” (2019) might be a good place to start. Kristen and Eleanor selected this book for the next few sessions of our Health Geeks Book Club. As an introduction, we talk about the publisher and book structure. Then, we took some time to learn more about the author, his reason for writing the book, his...

Ever heard of Lydia Pinkham and her vegetable compound, or other old wives' tales to “cure” menopause? Do you know what medical therapies, pharmaceuticals, and supplements are available to support women transitioning through menopause?  How does diet affect women in menopause? Kristen and Eleanor share a current hot topic evening news report about governmental recommendations on "diet," and deconstruct it. They caution people to critically evaluate news reports....

How do you take care of your pelvic floor? How big is the incontinence industry? What is OAB?  Do you have pelvic pain?   When do you need a pelvic floor therapist? We invited Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist, Holly Keets McDonald, to join us as we got into the urinary and sexual concerns of navigating menopause.  Dr. Jen Gunter brings a feminist perspective to this topic in her 2021 book--THE MENOPAUSE MANIFESTO: Own Your Health with Facts and...

Do you know how to critically evaluate the books you read on health and wellness?   The Health Geeks dig into evaluation criteria and why it is important to understand: Who is the author? Who is the publisher? How is the book structured? Are there references? How good are they? In this episode, they take some time to share their insight. They discuss their evaluation criteria as applied to Dr. Gen Gunter’s 2021 book--THE MENOPAUSE MANIFESTO: Own Your Health with Facts...

Are you comfortable talking about menopause? What does society say about women and menopause? Do we need to change the way we talk about menopause and treat women experiencing it?  Dr. Jen Gunter calls us to task to do better and presents her declaration in her book: THE MENOPAUSE MANIFESTO: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism (2021).   As uncomfortable as Eleanor and Kristen might have been at the onset of this discussion, Tim joined in and brought some...

Are you on the “clean eating” bandwagon? Do you have a gym membership? Own a Peloton? Ever noticed competition in the wellness market?    How can you become a wise consumer of wellness practices and products? Rina Raphael shares her guides for the perplexed in her book- THE GOSPEL OF WELLNESS: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care (2022). Eleanor and Kristen are looking forward to a conversation with this author and what the topic of her...

Ever heard someone say, “Kale Yes”? Ever heard of Goop? or the Vegan Blonde?  Have you been seduced by messages of consumerist self-care? Are you heading down the road to “orthorexia”?  Why do we listen to the latest fad and participate in wellness trends?  Is there a dark side to this wellness movement?  Kristen and Eleanor can’t stop talking about Rina Raphael’s book- THE GOSPEL OF WELLNESS: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of...

Are you being told to take care of yourself, that wellness is important? How did our focus on body size and beauty become standardized and attached to health and wellness?  Do you know anything about the history of the wellness industry that has become a major growth market in our economy? We learn about so many of the “influencers” in the establishment of the wellness discipline and industry.  Eleanor and Kristen have fun exploring the historical stories Rina...

Are you scheduling your self-care time? Do you get anxious because you don't have time for it? Ever heard of “commodified wellness”? Women are pursuing their health like never before!  Rina Raphael has written a very provocative book- THE GOSPEL OF WELLNESS: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care (2022).  Kristen and Eleanor are just getting warmed up as they start their discussion of the fascinating observations presented in this book. PS...

Kristen and Eleanor get recharged and read some books. In the meantime, here's a revisiting of Episode #53. What does the research say about the popular diets in the headlines? Diet culture abounds. Which diet REALLY works? Should we count calories? Health journalist, and author, Robert J. Davis, Ph.D. joins Kristen and Eleanor to discuss his latest book SUPERSIZED LIES: How Myths about Weight Loss Are Keeping Us Fat- and the Truth About What Really...

Kristen and Eleanor get recharged and read some books. In the meantime, here's a revisiting of Episode #61. Do you have limiting beliefs? Have you heard of neurobics? Are you ever jealous or guilt-ridden? Are these thoughts getting in your way? Eleanor and Kristen explore lessons that helped Mel Robbins discover a simple and easy technique. She shares it in her book THE HIGH 5 HABIT. The Health Geeks Book Club Podcast is part of The Less...

Where does pain come from? How do you alleviate pain after physical trauma? What is the difference between physical therapy, neuromuscular therapy, Reiki, massage therapy, and the Roels Method? North Carolina author and massage therapist Michael Roels continues talking with Kristen and Eleanor about his personal recovery experience in his book, TURNING PAIN INTO LOVE.  He shares the many therapies that he tried and what really helped him heal. He hopes...

How do you live with physical pain? What do you do if nothing seems to help? North Carolina author and massage therapist, Michael Roels, joins Eleanor and Kristen to talk about his experience of writing his first book, TURNING PAIN INTO LOVE, his journey to recovery after a horrific car accident, and the development of the Roels Method, which is now taught as continuing education to licensed massage therapists. The Health Geeks Book Club Podcast is part of The Less...

Do you ever think of yourself as a chef? Adding positive or negative thoughts and creating a chemical stew in your body? What is your amygdala, and what does it have to do with controlling stress chemicals? Can tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) different places on your body help reprogram your brain connections and calm the interior?  Cyrus Bush joins Kristen and Eleanor as they talk about practical ways to use “the genie in our genes” and wrap up their...

Does the way you think about your environment affect your health? Can your emotions influence the expression of your genes? Do you see yourself as a failure or in the process of growing? Do you think you can control your thoughts and, thereby, your health? Eleanor and Kristen keep talking about Dawson Church’s book --THE GENIE IN YOUR GENES: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention. They share some of the research examples he gives to...

Do you know your DNA profile? Do you have health risks associated with your DNA? Do you feel doomed? There is hope, maybe your health journey is not written in stone. Kristen and Eleanor invite Cyrus Bush to join them as they begin to unravel the story of how and why your genes are activated or not. They start a conversation about all the wonders in Dawson Church’s 2014 book called --THE GENIE IN YOUR GENES: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of...

What does the organic food controversy mean for you? Do you struggle with your weight? Have you ever used a weight loss supplement? Do you use a protein supplement? Should you avoid soy proteins?  How do you evaluate supplements and the companies that make them? Eleanor, Kristen, and her colleagues, Lucy and Bella, dive further into the rich discussion that Dr. Steve Chaney presents in his book – SLAYING THE SUPPLEMENT MYTHS: The Truth Behind...