The Kathleen Show Blog

Kathy Freston and...you?

One of our listeners takes the challenge

Posted by Cari @ The Kathleen Show

We love it when listeners share their stories with us.  And recently we had Christine Pierangeli on the air to talk about how the show got her fired up to make some changes in her life.

Christine had just heard the podcast of Kathleen’s interview with best-selling author Kathy Freston (from about a year ago) and got turned on to her 21-day Quantum Wellness Cleanse—no caffeine, no animal products, no gluten, no caffeine and no sugar.  She called into the show on day 15 to report in on how she was doing…

“I’m finding that I don’t have those sugar lows that I might otherwise have.  I just feel like my body is able to glide along at just a little bit of an easier, gentler pace.” 

Listen to the rest of Kathleen and Christine’s conversation:

It’s so fun to hear how you’ve all been inspired by our guests.  So if you want to be a caller on the show and weigh in on any of our topics or share your own story, shoot us an email. 


Related:

Kathleen’s interview with Kathy Freston

Listen to past shows via Podcast

Share your stories with us on Facebook

What every American needs to know about food

The Marion Nestle interview

Posted by Cari @ The Kathleen Show

“We need to be active citizens in order to protect our own health”   -Dr. Marion Nestle

We have more food being produced in our country than ever before, but is that a good thing?  Not when it means that food companies are encouraging people to eat more and we’re getting sicker (and bigger) every day because of it.

So if you’re fired up about food like we are, Dr. Marion Nestle is your gal.  She knows food. She knows what’s in it, where it comes from…and how power players are working behind the scenes to influence it, often at the expense of our health.

Kathleen recently chatted with this food guru about the food industry and its wide-reaching power to not only dictate what’s available and affordable, but also its influence over government leaders through deep pockets and campaign funding. Dr. Nestle exposes unethical marketing practices, food lobbyists and government subsidies for the ingredients that make up most of the processed junk we eat. And most importantly, she shares how we as consumers can fight back.

Listen to Dr. Marion Nestle’s interview:

Listen to Kathleen’s monologue for her thoughts on the crap food we collectively pay for with our tax dollars and expanding waistlines:


Related:

Kathleen’s interview with Michael Pollan

Cut the crap and get healthy

Buy “Food Politics” by Marion Nestle

Talk with us on Facebook

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Lose your shoes...run barefoot

Posted by Cari @ The Kathleen Show

Curious about barefoot running?  We are.  So as a follow-up to her recent interview with “Born to Run” author Christopher McDougall, Kathleen talked to Justin Owings from BirthdayShoes.com on the air about Vibram Five Fingers (pictured above). 

According to barefoot converts, these funky “shoes” could lead to a new chapter of running in your life free of aches and pains.  Or at the very least, might help you rediscover the joy of running. 

You’ll have to tune in to the very end of the show to find out if Kathleen is ready to order a pair of Five Fingers, but I’ve already taken mine out for a spin and have to say…they feel good.

Listen now:

If you've tried Five Fingers or barefoot running we'd love to get your comments below.


Related:

The Beginner's Guide to Vibram Five Fingers

Kathleen’s interview with Christopher McDougall

Run stronger, better and faster…by running less?

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Never miss another show…sign up for our podcasts

A health care call to action

Changes we can demand immediately

This week’s Prevention Not Prescriptions guest blog is by Dr. Andrew Weil, bestselling author and pioneer in integrative medicine.

As an American, you have a right to good health care that is effective, accessible, and affordable, that serves you from infancy through old age, that allows you to go to practitioners and facilities of your choosing, and that offers a broad range of therapeutic options.

We currently have an expensive system that is not making people well. While there has been tremendous debate over access and payment, there has been less focus on the content of health care. Without a change in that content, we will never have a sustainable system; all attempts at reform will be taken down by unmanageable costs.

As I outlined in my book, Why Our Health Matters: A Vision of Medicine That Can Transform Our Future, here are some changes we can demand immediately:

1. Ban direct-to-consumer marketing and advertising by big pharma.

Sales of $643 billion a year have made the pharmaceutical industry the most profitable business in the country. Most pharmaceutical companies spend a huge portion of their budget on advertising. The result is a nation of people who believe there's a pill for every health problem. Big pharma advertising is producing a distorted and narrow view of how health care works, which is why there are several bills moving through Congress that aim to clamp down on it.

2. Create a National Institute of Health and Healing at the NIH and fund it generously.

If our health care system is to achieve greatness, our medicine needs to return to its roots. It must focus again on the natural healing power of human beings. This means investing more in research that will help us understand the body's ability to defend itself from harm, regenerate damaged tissue and adapt to injury and loss. Doing so will help us create and improve treatment and therapies that are less invasive and less expensive while making the most of our most powerful healing asset: ourselves.

3. Create an Office of Health Promotion within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and fund it appropriately.

We spend 40 times more on the health risks of terrorism than we do on the health risks of obesity, which kills about 400,000 people a year. There is too much emphasis on treating disease rather than on protecting health in the first place. We need to invest real dollars and ingenuity in educating people about nutrition, exercise and other healthy activities. It's the single most effective way to defeat the epidemic of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and conditions that lead to life-threatening diseases.

4. Teach health promotion and integrative medicine at medical schools and residency programs.

We need to create a new generation of hands-on primary care physicians who are as knowledgeable about promoting health practices that their patients can adopt to prevent serious, chronic diseases as they are about disease management and crisis intervention.

5. Require insurers to cover health promotion and integrative care.

Millions of Americans today are taking dietary supplements, practicing yoga and integrating other natural therapies into their lives. These are all preventive measures that will keep them out of the doctor's office and drive down the costs of treating serious problems like heart disease and diabetes. Yet none of these healthy activities is covered by insurance companies.

6. Establish an Office of Health Education within the U.S. Department of Education.

We need to start healthy habits young. This office would make nutrition, diet, and exercise an integrated part of every child's education and encourage innovative ways to teach healthy practices to young people so the message sticks.

7. Learn how to take care of yourself!

You can't afford to get sick, and you can't depend on the present health care system to keep you well. It's up to you to protect and maintain your body's innate capacity for health and healing by making the right choices in how you live.


Visit the website: Why Our Health Matters for more information.

Yours in health,
Andrew Weil, M.D.

Read this week's full Prevention Not Prescriptions line-up.

Listen to Dr. Weil's interview on The Kathleen Show.


Related:

Dr. Weil’s Website (some of the best health advice you’ll find)

Last week’s edition of Prevention Not Prescriptions with Tara Stiles

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Undoing Depression

“Unwittingly, we get good at depression."  ~Dr. Richard O'Connor

Dr. Richard O’Connor’s book Undoing Depression blew me away and his interview served up a powerful perspective on depression. A perspective well beyond more pills. 

Because while medication can sometimes fix our brain chemicals (actually rarely except for the most severely depressed), they do nothing to address our habits of depression. To overcome depression, we also need "to replace depressive patterns of thinking, relating, and behaving with a new and more effective set of skills."

While Dr. O’Connor beautifully addressed some specific actions during the interview, there were many things we did not get to on air. I wanted to point out at least three very practical items from his book. I worry that these may seem oversimplified in this format, but I thought they were worth putting out there.

Hands on activities to help ‘undo’ depression:
 

• 3 good things: Once you turn off the light at bedtime, think of 3 good things that happened that day.  (Even small things like what you had for lunch, an attractive person you saw, or a song you heard.) As you focus on those things, notice where you feel the joy in your body. Hold on to that moment and  visualize the neurons in your brain forming new happiness circuits. (Yes, you are actually rewiring your brain with this task, helping to reset your happiness set point.*) Let yourself drift off to sleep with these good feelings.

• Avoid enablers. The people who make it easy for you to perform your self-defeating behaviors. 

• Mood journal: When you start to feel yourself spiral into depression or anxiety, write down how and what you’re feeling. Doing so will allow you to start to see patterns in your moods so that you begin to realize they don’t just come ‘out of the blue’. Knowing the the triggers can help us manage them. Seeing a pattern will make us feel less crazy or out of control. Here is a link describing the mood journal in more detail: http://www.undoingdepression.com/livingwell/lwmoodjounal.html

*Likewise, research has shown that negative thoughts destroy these circuits in the brain.  See Undoing Depression for more details.

Listen to Dr. Richard O'Connor's interview:

And here's my monologue...a few insights from my days selling psychiatric drugs:

 

Related:

Look mom, no side effects. Pill-less options for treating depression. An interview with psychiatrist Bradley Lewis M.D.

Who would you be without your story? The Byron Katie interview.

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Sir Ken Robinson: Game changer

What do you when you have a guest that makes your day and changes your audience’s life? You bring him back, of course.

The first time we booked Sir Ken Robinson I was excited because like millions of others I had seen his inspiring 2006 TED talk about creativity and had read his books. But I wasn’t prepared for the very real person behind the personality of “Sir Ken”. And although I knew he’d be motivating, I didn’t expect the dramatic and immediate impact that interview would have on individual listeners. 

Many of you contacted me to say how that show moved you to go back to school, launch that business, change jobs, or take some time to seriously rethink where you are, how you got here, and what to do next. There’s very little that compares to getting this kind of feedback from you. 

But this was also personal for me. Personal from the standpoint that I have been there and done that with dramatic changes in my work life—from selling pills, to making movies, to launching this radio show. I know how difficult it can be to make that jump and how incredibly sweet life can taste when you do. So I’m here. Use me (or the show) if you’re ready to bust out...and know that you’re not alone.

Noteworthy:

There’s one more thing about Sir Ken that is worth mentioning. In my role as host, I’m typically the one who asks the questions and thoroughly researches the guests. My job is to draw information and emotional responses from them and generally that is a one way street. 

But Sir Ken surprised me. He asked me questions back. And he cared to hear my answers. He knew what to ask because he had actually taken the time to find out a little about me before coming on air. Because of that, this was not just an interview, but an authentic conversation. I realized I enjoyed it so much, not because it was rare in my line of work, but because it’s rare in life.  

It’s listening that makes people so damn unforgettable…

My most recent interview with Sir Ken: Feel the fear...and jump!

And here's my monologue about becoming "fearless".



Related:

What lights your fire? Are you doing it? (Sir Ken's first appearance on The Kathleen Show)

Resilience: The story of champions. (An interview with John Paul DeJoria, founder of Paul Mitchell.)

How to keep on keepin' on the that bumpy road to success. 

Sign up to receive our podcasts and never miss another hot interview.

Join us on FaceBook.

A nation in hormonal chaos...

Your health is hanging in the balance.

Posted by Cari @ The Kathleen Show

“The problem is that we’re eating the wrong kinds of foods that we’re told are healthy, but they’re not…and all those things are wreaking havoc.” ~Dr. Michael Aziz

The key to maintaining a healthy weight and optimal health?  Hormones. They can turn on our internal fountain of youth, deliver better than Viagra, act more powerfully than Prozac, and prove more effective than gastric bypass surgery. Or, they can do the opposite. 

In his interview with Kathleen, Dr. Michael Aziz, the author of The Perfect 10 Diet (the title is not as it appears), discusses how American food choices are wreaking hormonal havoc—causing obesity, diabetes and cancer. He also gives us the lowdown on hormones that work together to help regulate weight (insulin), our sex drives (estrogen, progesterone) and our youth (HGH)—and how what we eat can throw everything off balance. 

Despite the cover and the hype, this is not your typical diet book. We love that Dr. Aziz takes the information to a higher plane by also addressing the role of plastics, GMOs, pesticides and lobbyists. For that, we give him a big high-five.


Listen to Dr. Aziz’s interview:

And here's Kathleen’s take on her ever-evolving journey toward healthier eating. Ring any bells for you?


This entry has been posted as part of Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday.



Related:

Sneak peek: Michael Pollan’s “Food Rules”

Latest edition of Prevention Not Prescriptions

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A hero for women...

J.K. Rowling: The Fringe Benefits of Failure

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

I watched this speech last week and could not get it out of my head. And then it hit me. I've been so darn hungry for a female hero. I knew J.K. Rowling was a great writer. But who knew she was so funny, and charmingly shy, and such a compassionate leader? 

This woman has certainly given us so much more than Harry Potter. And I'm overwhelmed with gratitude.

Related:

Kathleen's interview with the great Maya Angelou

Female business owners who are rocking the business world

Register for our podcasts and never miss another inspiring interview

Prevention Not Prescriptions: Tuesday, February 9

Welcome back to Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday. This is a weekly forum where we’re coming together to inform and inspire each other to healthier living.  Tuesdays are our chance to take our health into our own hands and say “hell no” to more pills and the pharmaceutical industry’s endless search for profits.

Christiane Northrup, M.D.

The Wisdom of the Heart

The vast majority of cardiovascular disease begins in childhood and progresses very slowly. Many different factors influence whether or not it progresses. For example, it’s well documented that the presence of a pet lowers blood pressure and is relaxing. And listening to your thoughts and emotions, and acting on the tough ones, will have a long-term, profound, positive effect on your cardiovascular health, too.  Read more…


Just a pinch of salt…

“The health risks of excessive salt”
By Dr. Ayala
@DrAyala



Self Care & Alternative Treatments

Dr. Weil in the house…
By Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau
@KathleenShow

1200 reasons to try meditation
By Dr. Malynn Utzinger-Wheeler
@DrMalynn

Why flax?
By Susan Dopart
@smnutritionist

Staying healthy…as easy as a day at the beach
By Dr. Joe
@drjoesDIYhealth

What am I really afraid of?
By Karen Anderson
@kclanderson


Information is Inspiration

A little sludge on your salad?
By Dan Overlander
@psychiclunch

 Books that inspire
By Jack
@DrGotPassport


Food, Diet & Nutrition

What’s the cost of healthy food?
By Pat Barone
@patbarone

A dozen kid-pleasin’ healthy snacks
By Tess Challis
@tesschallis

Hop over those weight loss hurdles
By Mary Langfield
@MulberryMary


Personal Responsibility

What’s your need?
By Lisa Corrado
@LCNutrition

And your post is next…


In the Media:

Why Has the FDA Allowed a Drug Marked "Not Safe For Use in Humans" to be Fed to Livestock Right Before Slaughter?
By Martha Rosenberg
@ AlterNet

Underused Therapy for the Heart: The Gym
By Paula Span
@ New York Times

Related:

Prevention Not Prescriptions: Tuesday, February 2 with Dr. Malynn

Lisa Oz gets personal

Participate in Prevention Not Prescriptions

The Kathleen Show is on Facebook

The Wisdom of the Heart

This week’s Prevention Not Prescriptions guest blogger is Christiane Northrup, M.D.

The vast majority of cardiovascular disease begins in childhood and progresses very slowly. Many different factors influence whether or not it progresses. For example, it’s well documented that the presence of a pet lowers blood pressure and is relaxing. And listening to your thoughts and emotions, and acting on the tough ones, will have a long-term, profound, positive affect on your cardiovascular health, too.

Every Emotion is a Biochemical Reality in the Body

Behind every behavior—whether health-enhancing or health-destroying—there are emotions that are processed by the heart and entire cardiovascular system. And behind every emotion, there is a belief—a perception about reality. Thoughts and beliefs that support self-love and self-worth enhance health and well-being, and the lifestyle behaviors that support them. The more women truly care for themselves, the better their health is.

Emotions that we can’t deal with directly and elegantly go into our bodies and drive our behaviors, pure and simple.

The Heart Trumps the Intellect

It has taken me half a lifetime to know one thing for sure: The intellect exists to serve the wisdom of the heart. Our intellect-driven society, however, leads us to believe that it’s the other way around. And so we wait for the next drug or technological break through, thinking it will save us. But in the end, the wisdom of the heart will prevail.

All the drugs and technology in the world can’t mend a broken heart or heal someone whose heart is no longer in the game of life. Never forget that the EKG signal coming from the heart is 60 times stronger than the EEG signal from brain waves. So when there’s a conflict between the intellect and the heart, the heart always wins. And the only way to heal the true discomforts of the heart is to feel them fully, have faith in a power greater than yourself, and then live your life robustly.

My Prescription for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease

• Understand that each heart is self-healing if given the space and permission to feel what it needs to feel.

• Be willing to bravely and compassionately enter the unhealed places in our own hearts. When we’re on intimate terms with our own pain and suffering, and have made a commitment to heal them, we have far less difficulty keeping our hearts open to others. And our very presence becomes part of the healing as our patients realize that they are not alone—and not hopelessly flawed.

• Know that it’s part of the Great Mystery why some people open their hearts to themselves and do the work of healing and others do not. Still, it is our job to fan the flames of hope and compassion, no matter how dim they may seem.

• Rather than take on the impossible burden of thinking it is our job to heal others, we must also remember that the biggest gift we can give to another is a healed heart. And that is, and always will be, and something only you can do for yourself.

I hope this encourages you to trust your inner guidance system and to listen to your own heart. It will help you to live a more joyful and healthy life.

Learn More in The Wisdom of Menopause, by Christiane Northrup, M.D., Chapter 14, “Living with Heart, Passion, and Joy: How to Listen to and Love Your Midlife Heart.”

This information is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. All material in this article is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.

© Christiane Northrup, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Christiane Northrup, M.D., a board-certified ob/gyn, is a visionary pioneer, beloved authority in women’s health and wellness, and the author of the ground breaking New York Times bestsellers Women's Bodies, Women’s Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause. Her third book, Mother-Daughter Wisdom, was voted Amazon’s #1 book of the 2005 (in two categories). Her latest books, The Secret Pleasures of Menopause and The Secret Pleasures of Menopause Playbook, teach how to experience joy, pleasure, prosperity, fulfillment, and vibrant health.

Following a 25-year career in both academic medicine and private practice, Dr. Northrup now devotes her time to helping women truly flourish on all levels through tapping into their inner wisdom.

Through her exclusive Women’s Wisdom Circle, Dr. Northrup shares cutting-edge medical and lifestyle advice. For more information about Dr. Northrup and her Wisdom Circle go to www.DrNorthrup.com.

Read this week's full Prevention Not Prescriptions line-up.

Related:

Dr. Christiane Northrup’s interviews on The Kathleen Show

Prevention Not Prescriptions: Tuesday, February 2

Dr. Andrew Weil in the house…

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