The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Latest Episodes:

Can A Keto Diet Help Prevent Alzheimer's? Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

Alzheimer's Disease is a leading degenerative disease in our older population, but it's one that you can prevent and even treat with early diagnosis. I'm joined by Dale E. Bredesen, MD, to talk about his tremendous work with Alzheimer's patients.

Key Takeaways

Minor oral concerns that can contribute to Alzheimer's Disease

Root canals
Mercury
Periodontitis
Gingivitis
Leaky Gums

About Dale E. Bredesen, MD

Dr. Bredesen received his undergraduate degree from Caltech and his medical degree from Duke. He served as Resident and Chief Resident in Neurology at UCSF, then was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Nobel laureate Prof. Stanley Prusiner. He was a faculty member at UCLA from 1989-1994, then joined the Burnham Institute to direct the Program on Aging.

In 1998 he became the Founding President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and Adjunct Professor at UCSF; then in 2013 he returned to UCLA as the Director of the Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research.

The Bredesen Laboratory studies basic mechanisms underlying the neurodegenerative process, and the translation of this knowledge into effective therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, leading to the publication of over 220 research papers.

He established the ADDN (Alzheimer's Drug Development Network) with Dr. Varghese John in 2008, leading to the identification of new classes of therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease. He and his group developed a new approach to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, and this approach led to the discovery of subtypes of Alzheimer's disease, followed by the first description of the reversal of symptoms in patients with MCI and Alzheimer's disease, with the ReCODE (reversal of cognitive decline) protocol, published in 2014, 2016, and 2018.

His book, The End of Alzheimer's, was on the New York Times Bestsellers List for 5 months and is available in 32 different languages.

Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease

Dr. Dale E. Bredesen joins me to talk about Alzheimer's treatment, prevention, and causes. This is an enlightening conversation and one that so many of my listeners and clients have asked for. This is especially relevant for women, as statistically speaking, we're more likely to develop brain and memory-related diseases as we age.

Dale provides us with some insight into why we should focus on our brain health once we turn 35. It's never too early to prepare our bodies for healthy aging. And if you're already showing signs of memory loss, Dale wholeheartedly encourages you to seek medical intervention early.

This is one of the reasons it takes so long for an Alzheimer's Disease diagnosis. Because we tend to shrug off minor memory failure as just being forgetful, relying more on our long-term memory, it can be difficult to pinpoint the onset of the disease.

Dale also explains how some of the different subsets of Alzheimer's Disease present and what the treatment for these should be.

The Keto Diet for Alzheimer's Prevention

The first step to treating and preventing Alzheimer's Disease, of course, starts in the gut. Dale recommends a Ketogenic diet that relies heavily on plant-based foods - much like my KetoGreen program.

There are so many different approaches to Keto you can take, especially depending on what type of Alzheimer's subset you have. But overall, Dale recommends an overnight fast, vegetable-based, and low in fats such as bacon.

Dale also encourages a low Glycemic diet. This is one that's low in sugar, even those occurring in fruits, as so many of our fruits have been genetically modified over the years to have a much higher sugar count than what's natural.

Finally, Dale gives some very valuable insight into the importance of our oral health. In fact, some of our more common dental concerns, such as gingivitis and root canals, can directly contribute to your likelihood of developing Alzheimer's Disease!

Have you started including a fast in your diet? How long do you fast for? What's your favorite way to break your fast? As always, you can ask me anything and let me hear your thoughts in the comments on the episode page. If you have questions, email team@drannacabeca.com.

In This Episode

Why women are more at risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease than men are [12:45]
What you can do improve your brain health after 35 [18:00]
Why you should stay on top of your brain health and function, especially if you have what you think is a minor problem [27:00]
Why Alzheimer's Disease takes so long to diagnose [30:30]
What kind of approach you should take to the Ketogenic diet [45:00]

Quotes

"This is a critical piece. You need to make sure for each person that they are getting the appropriate nutrients, blood flow, oxygenation, and hormones to the entire brain." [19:00]

"Your brain has collected so many important memories that this is one of the reasons why Alzheimer's takes so long to diagnose. You can function so well with what you've already learned that the first thing that's sacrificed, as you're now downsizing, is the ability to learn to new things." [30:26]

"The paradox is that we are constructed to eat fruits. But the problem is all the fruits that we're exposed to are extremely high in sugar because people want to sell fruit, they want to make money. They've bred these fruits to be higher in sugar. The paradox is that we're here on Earth to eat fruits, but not to eat the fruits that are currently on Earth." [1:01:03]

Resources Mentioned

Know Your Risk for Cognitive Decline with Cognoscopy

Find Out More About Apollo Health

Check out Episode 42: Food As Medicine To Help Anxiety w/ Ali Miller

Find Dale E. Bredesen, MD Online

Follow Dale E. Bredesen, MD on Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Join the KetoGreen Community on Facebook

Buy Keto-Green 16

Check out the full episode page

Find Dr. Anna Online

Follow Dr. Anna on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Related Episodes:

107: What You Need To Do To Help Prevent Alzheimer's Disease w/ Dr. Lisa Mosconi

147: How Ketosis Can Help Heal Your Body w/ Ali Miller, RD

148: Healing Your Gut Issues With Enzymes w/ Steven Wright

How to Heal Pelvic Floor Pain Holistically Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

Pelvic floor pain is one of the most common issues we have that no one talks about. I'm joined by my girlfriend, Dr. Brianne Grogan, to talk about how she makes relieving pelvic pain accessible and, dare I say, fun.

Key Takeaways

The steps to relieve pelvic floor pain at home:

Deep breathing
Relaxation techniques
Body scanning
Stretching
Talk about your pelvic pain

About Dr. Brianne Grogan

With nearly 15 million views on YouTube and a 5-star reviewed podcast and book, Dr. Brianne Grogan, PT, DPT is a leading voice in the field of pelvic health and wellness. Her viewers love her for her down-to-earth, compassionate approach and for making pelvic floor fitness fun, mainstream, and accessible.

Breathing and Relaxation for Pelvic Floor Pain

Pelvic floor pain is a serious condition that you can start treating at home. Dr. Brianne Grogan is here today to talk about what you can do, starting today, to ease the chronic pain that's so common among both women and men.

She takes us right back to basics. If you have pelvic floor pain, some of the things you can start doing to calm it down are deep breathing exercises and relaxing. This might sound easier said than done, but Bri breaks some of these exercises down into really manageable tasks.

Bri also talks about the Paradoxical Relaxation method. This approach basically takes a look at how you can relax as much as you can - and from there, accepting where you are. This might mean that you accept you have a certain degree of pelvic pain, but it's much less than it was before you relaxed.

Embrace Your Feminine Energy to Reduce Pelvic Floor Pain

Brianne talks a lot about masculine and feminine energy in this episode. These energies exist in both of us and we can embody them both at any given time.

While masculine energy is very much in the mind of forcing through the pain, treating pelvic health needs a more nurturing, gentle approach, which comes from our feminine energy.

By stepping into our feminine energy, Bri explains some of the techniques we can use to relax our pelvic floor and reduce the pain we have there at home. From self-massage to internal stretching, healthy eating to self-care and relaxation, she lets us know exactly what we can do without a large financial investment.

I do want to stress one thing: Bri explains why doing Kegel exercises is counterproductive to reducing pelvic floor pain. Kegels help to strengthen your muscles and focus on contracting your pelvic floor - the exact opposite of what you want to do to relieve any pain you're having!

As always, you can ask me anything and let me hear your thoughts in the comments on the episode page. If you have questions, email team@drannacabeca.com.

In This Episode

What the basics of calming your pelvic floor pain are [9:00]
How you can breathe your way to an ease in pelvic floor pain [12:24]
What Paradoxical Relaxation is [14:00]
What the differences between masculine and feminine energy are [22:25]
What you can do at home to release your pelvic floor muscles [28:30]
How our brain and our gut can contribute to our pelvic health [36:00]

Quotes

"Focus on effortless letting go. You're letting go without pushing to make it happen, which is interesting because that brings in the energy, masculine versus feminine energy. It's a very masculine energy to push and make things happen, "I'm going to make this tension go away!" in a very hard-driving manner. We're doing a very feminine approach to releasing the tension. Let's see what can let go naturally." [13:25]

"It's not that it's in your head, it's not that you're making up the pain at all. It's just that there are some responses that we need to unlearn." [17:37]

"What we need is actually to release the muscles. Kegels are really the last thing you want to do if you have pelvic pain and tension." [25:32]

Resources Mentioned

Heal Pelvic Pain at Home, Holistically

Find Dr. Brianne Grogan Online

Follow Dr. Brianne Grogan on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

Listen to Dr. Bri Talks Lady Bits on Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Join the KetoGreen Community on Facebook

Buy Keto-Green 16

Check out the full episode page

Find Dr. Anna Online

Follow Dr. Anna on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Related Episodes:

154: How to Unlearn What You Were Taught About Suffering w/ Sarah Anne Stewart

156: How to Have Compassion for Yourself w/ Mary Shores

153: Feeling Fit and Fabulous After Fifty w/ Debra Atkinson

Breast Health Awareness Nov 01, 2020

Show notes

On this episode, Dr. Anna sits down with Mindy Jones Lee & Dana Donofree to talk about breast health awareness, exercises to keep your breasts in shape, as well as a fashion line of bras specifically for women who have gone through breast cancer or a mastectomy. Mindy Jones Lee is the founder of Energy Holistic Health, an integrative health coaching platform which helps women work on a combination of mental, physical, and spiritual work. Mindy is a C.H.E.K. Holistic Lifestyle Coach and Exercise Coach, with Scientific Back and Core Specialist Certification, and has worked with autoimmune conditions, cancer, infertility, bone degeneration, chronic migraines, spectrum disorders, GI conditions, parasitic-yeast-or fungal infections, neurological imbalances, sexual dysfunction, depression and suicide, kids and older population specific issues. For more information about Mindy Jones Lee visit: www.energyholistichealth.co Dana Donofree was diagnosed with breast cancer at 27. Dana founded AnaOno out of her own necessity and desire for pretty, sexy, beautiful lingerie. After a mastectomy with reconstruction bras no longer fit her surgically altered body, and Dana was certain there must be more than just sports bras and camisoles. With a degree in fashion design from Savannah College of Art and Design, and a quite successful fashion industry career, she took her 10+ years' experience and put it toward designing, launching and growing AnaOno. AnaOno is not just a bra. We design intimates for women that have undergone breast surgery, often related to a cancer diagnosis. Our focus is on the WHOLE woman, not just her breasts. Every piece is designed with intention to meet the specific needs of these customers and patients that are not met by traditional lingerie options. Our collections are made for those with one breast, two breasts, no breasts or new breasts, because we know that breasts don't define the woman, the way she feels does. AnaOno is there every step of the way, from diagnosis, through surgery, and beyond. With AnaOno, you are Never Alone. For more information about Dana or AnaOno visit: https://www.anaono.com/ *Always seek the advice of your own physician or qualified health professional before starting any treatment or plans. Information found here and results are provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional and is not intended as medical advice. -ABOUT DR. ANNA- Dr. Anna Cabeca is an Emory University trained and board certified Gynecologist and Obstetrician. In addition, she is board certified in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and an expert in Functional Medicine and Women's Health. She specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and natural alternatives, successful menopause and age management medicine. -YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED- Discover Julva®! https://drannacabeca.com/products/julva-trial-pack Julva® is an all-natural, anti-aging cosmetic cream for your delicate feminine parts. Find out more about Mighty Maca® Plus! https://drannacabeca.com/products/mighty-maca Mighty Maca® Plus — the superfood green drink with 40+ amazing ingredients Check out our programs here: Sexual CPR: http://sexualcpr.com/helpdoctor/ Magic Menopause: https://go.magicmenopause.com/waiting-list Catch up with Dr. Anna's Latest News: http://drannacabeca.com/blog/ Need help with something else? Email us at Team@DrAnnaCabeca.com -CONNECT WITH DR. ANNA- Website: http://drannacabeca.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Drannac/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annacabeca Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cabecahealth Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drcabeca/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drannacabeca/

How to Have Compassion for Yourself Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

It's time to stop the negative talk to both yourself and the people around you. We're introducing conscious communication from here on out. I'm joined by Mary Shores to talk about how she created this communication model to positively impact her personal and business relationships.

Key Takeaways

What's on the Do Not Say List:

No
Not
Can't
Won't
However
Unfortunately

About Mary Shores

Mary Shores is an innovative collection agency owner, communication expert, and best-selling author who transforms people's words to help them fall back in love with their customers. Fifteen years ago, Mary discovered a game-changing formula to connect to your customers and clients. It all started with a do not say list and grew into an entire strategy that will fix your relationships.

Change Your Thoughts: Change Your Life

Mary shares with us the story of her childhood and what led her to start her own business as a debt collector. It's such an emotional tale but is one that has such a positive outcome. Mary tells us the exact moment she decided to change her mindset… and change her life.

When she decided to take a more positive outlook with her communications, Mary sent out that conscious request to the universe that she would embody that joy, however, and wherever she could. Part of this was allowing herself to examine her negative thoughts when they arose. By learning where her negative thoughts and emotions stemmed from, she figured out how to work with and through past trauma.

Over the past 15 years of inner work, Mary developed an alternative model for Positive Psychology. The Power of Thought Quality lets you look at what impact your thoughts have and where the power of your individual words lies.

This led Mary to create the Cleanse or Clog formula. This method acts as a way to train your mind and thoughts to recognize when something is good for you - or something that's sitting more negatively in your life.

Have Some Compassion for Yourself

Mary talks about the power that exists when you label your emotions. For so many of us, figuring out what we're actually feeling seems like a nearly impossible task. But, as Mary details, when you can get there, there is immense healing.

Something Mary encourages us all to learn how to do more often is to have compassion for ourselves. There is so much power in the negative words we speak to ourselves and, on top of this, we're all under immense stress and pressure.

Mary recommends writing down everything you feel that's going wrong in your life right now. When you look at that list - how does it make you feel? I want you to know that you're justified if you're feeling overwhelmed and that you owe yourself some compassion.

How would you talk to your six-year-old self? Will you be implementing the Do Not Say list in your life? As always, you can ask me anything and let me hear your thoughts in the comments on the episode page. If you have questions, email team@drannacabeca.com.

In This Episode

How one moment can change your entire approach to life [11:50]
What happens when you allow yourself to examine the negative thoughts you have [16:20]
What the power of thought quality is [21:45]
How to apply the Cleanse or Clog formula to your life [25:00]
How transforming your language to label your emotions releases them within you [33:10]
How to have compassion for yourself [40:00]
What power there is in asking other people feeling questions [48:50]

Quotes

"We need an allowance to be able to process our emotions when sh*t hits the fan. Because let's face it, life is not always rainbows and sunshine all the time, every single day." [15:51]

"Focus on what you can do instead of what you can't do. Now, here's the difference between the power of thought quality and positive thinking: When you find the thing that you can do, no matter how small that is, I want you to celebrate it like it is a huge moment in life." [18:19]

"If you say 'no' to another person or you say something negative to another person and it triggers them, well it's doing the same thing when you're talking to yourself that way." [30:54]

"When you can reestablish that connection to your feelings, your body's ability to receive pleasure will begin to restore itself." [41:19]

"Just start where you are. It doesn't matter. If you are like me and you don't even understand the concept of what a feeling is, just trust me and write your list of everything that you feel is broken in your life." [47:16]

Resources Mentioned

Buy Conscious Communication by Mary Shores on Amazon

Find Mary Shores Online

Follow Mary Shores on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

Join the KetoGreen Community on Facebook

Buy Keto-Green 16

Check out the full episode page

Find Dr. Anna Online

Follow Dr. Anna on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Related Episodes:

151: How to Create Your Joyful, Authentic Personal Brand w/ Juju Hook

154: How to Unlearn What You Were Taught About Suffering w/ Sarah Anne Stewart

149: How to Create an Abundant, Aligned, and Fulfilled Life w/ Natalie Matushenko

Breast Health Awareness Oct 25, 2020

Show notes

This is the season of breast cancer awareness! On this episode of The Girlfriend Doctor Show, Dr. Anna speaks with Dr. Véronique Desaulniers, The Breast Cancer Conquerer, about different tips and tricks to keep breast health as a top priority, as well as how you can self examine and detect breast cancer early on. *Always seek the advice of your own physician or qualified health professional before starting any treatment or plans. Information found here and results are provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional and is not intended as medical advice. -ABOUT DR. ANNA- Dr. Anna Cabeca is an Emory University trained and board certified Gynecologist and Obstetrician. In addition, she is board certified in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and an expert in Functional Medicine and Women's Health. She specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and natural alternatives, successful menopause and age management medicine. -YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED- Discover Julva®! https://drannacabeca.com/products/julva-trial-pack Julva® is an all-natural, anti-aging cosmetic cream for your delicate feminine parts. Find out more about Mighty Maca® Plus! https://drannacabeca.com/products/mighty-maca Mighty Maca® Plus — the superfood green drink with 40+ amazing ingredients Check out our programs here: Sexual CPR: http://sexualcpr.com/helpdoctor/ Magic Menopause: https://go.magicmenopause.com/waiting-list Catch up with Dr. Anna's Latest News: http://drannacabeca.com/blog/ Need help with something else? Email us at Team@DrAnnaCabeca.com -CONNECT WITH DR. ANNA- Website: http://drannacabeca.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Drannac/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/annacabeca Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cabecahealth Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drcabeca/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drannacabeca/

The 4 Simple Rules You Need to Stop Binge Eating Now Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

Binge eating happens to all of us, whether due to addiction or emotional trauma. I'm joined by Dr. Glenn Livingston to talk about how he cured himself of binge eating by following four simple rules.

About Dr. Glenn Livingston

Glenn Livingston, Ph.D. is a veteran psychologist and was the long-time CEO of a multi-million dollar consulting firm that has serviced several Fortune 500 clients in the food industry.

You may have seen his (or his company's) previous work, theories, and research in major periodicals like The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Indiana Star-Ledger, The NY Daily News, American Demographics, or many other major media outlets. You may also have heard him on ABC, WGN, and/or CBS radio, or UPN TV.

Disillusioned by what traditional psychology had to offer overweight and/or food obsessed individuals, Dr. Livingston spent several decades researching the nature of bingeing and overeating via work with his own patients AND a self-funded research program with more than 40,000 participants.

Most important, however, was his own personal journey out of obesity and food prison to a normal, healthy weight and a much more lighthearted relationship with food. Glenn is a regular blogger on Psychology Today.

Designed to be Addictive

As much as there is to say about trauma, stress, and emotional responses to blame binge eating on, Dr. Glenn Livingston opens this episode with an alternative reason: marketing and food production.

Some foods are just designed and created to hit all our bliss points: salty, greasy, sweet, comforting, and, often, with something else added to increase our addiction. Glenn reveals that a former executive of a big brand confectionary company told him they took all the vitamins out of their product and spent that money on packaging.

So if you're ever feeling like you can't control your binges, let's just say you're not alone. Big business wants you to binge.

There are some people who find so much solace and comfort in binge eating. Along with these marketing ploys, binge eating can absolutely do its part to fill a void in your body you don't know how otherwise to fill. Glenn also talks about some early research into how what you binge on might be an indication of where you have stress in your life.

Adopting Healthy Habits to Curb Binge Eating

But that doesn't mean you can't learn to get your binges under control. Glenn introduces us to his four rules of binge eating. He urges his clients to use these rules to start mastering their binge eating.

Glenn also encourages you to stop beating yourself up after binge eating. Getting angry and yelling at yourself is so counterproductive; you need to change your thought pattern. Instead, Glenn says you should start a success collection. This builds up your own self-identity as a success.

With some incredibly helpful words, Glenn reminds you that successful people have more failures behind them than anything else. It's like Paolo Coehlo says, 'fall seven times, get up eight.' It's not about how much you fail or fall back into a binge, it's about how many times you pick yourself back up and try again.

Finally, Glenn wants you to stop using the excuse of a binge to start tomorrow. You don't get a scratch on your car and then decide to crash it, right? Use the present moment, even if that's directly after a binge, to make your next healthy move.

Do you find you binge eat? You're not alone. I'd love to know what your favorite food to binge is. Mine's french fries! As always, you can ask me anything and let me hear your thoughts in the comments on the episode page. If you have questions, email team@drannacabeca.com.

In This Episode

How food hits our bliss points [9:00]
How food marketing increases your desire to purchase them [10:00]
Why some people use food as a comforting activity [17:00]
How what we binge eat on might indicate where we're feeling stressed [24:00]
How you can master control of your binge eating urges [29:30]
Why you should collect evidence of successes to build your success identity [37:30]
Why you need to let go of any pain or anxiety that follows a binge in order to stop binging in the future [39:11]
What happens when you have failure behind you [41:00]
How you can use the present moment to be healthy [45:45]

Quotes

"Just pick one rule. What is the smallest thing that you could and would do, that wouldn't feel like too much of a burden but would turn the ship around." [32:06]

"The mantra to think of post-binge is to commit with perfect but forgive yourself with dignity." [39:20]

"The name of the game is staying in the game until you win the game." [42:52]

"It's difficult to keep binging if you refuse to keep yelling at yourself." [44:10]

Resources Mentioned

Buy Mighty Maca Plus: Green Superfood Drink Online

Buy Julva All Natural Anti-Aging Cream for Feminine Parts Online

Get Your FREE Copy of Never Binge Again

Read the Never Binge Again Blog

Find Dr. Glenn Livingston Online

Follow Dr. Glenn Livingston on Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Join the KetoGreen Community on Facebook

Buy Keto-Green 16

Check out the full episode page

Find Dr. Anna Online

Follow Dr. Anna on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Related Episodes:

154: How to Unlearn What You Were Taught About Suffering w/ Sarah Anne Stewart

149: How to Create an Abundant, Aligned, and Fulfilled Life w/ Natalie Matushenko

139: The Neuroscience of Health, Hormones, and Happiness w/ Dr. Sarah McKay

How to Unlearn What You Were Taught About Suffering Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

Taking a holistic approach to your health means looking at your mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, and nutritional health. I'm joined by wellness coach Sarah Anne Stewart to talk about how she encourages holistic health with her clients. She also shares some great tips on increasing your overall wellness!

Key Takeaways

Some quick exercises you can start doing that will help you heal your mental and emotional health and your relationship with your body.

Practicing daily affirmations
Getting involved in Mirror Work
Writing a letter to our body

About Sarah Anne Stewart

Sarah Anne Stewart discovered the world of wellness as a teenager when her father received a terminal cancer diagnosis. Her family made a choice – to fight back with alternative medicine. Seven months later, her father was cancer-free, and a spark was lit in Sarah that propelled her to dedicate her life to spreading the healings her family had discovered.

Today, as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach (AADP), Sarah runs a leading private coaching practice with a focus on breaking free of diet culture through mindfulness. Her heart-centered approach has supported hundreds on their journeys to body love.

Sarah is the founder of the Awesome Inside Out Movement, an advisor to international wellness brands and soon to be Hay House author.

Taking the First Steps into Holistic Wellness

Sarah starts by sharing the story of when she first ventured into the wellness world. As a professional model, she struggled with what she knew to be true about her diet and lifestyle and actually putting it into practice.

She opens up and shares how she nearly killed herself with anorexia before she finally realized she needs to work on her mental and emotional health, as well as her nutritional and physical, in order to truly heal.

This led Sarah on a journey into holistic wellness that included a deep spiritual practice of healing. She found a spiritual teacher who told her that she needs to relearn everything she knew about suffering.

Sarah talks about self-sabotaging behavior and how, even when we're actively trying to change our lives for the better, we can still engage in it. She explains some of the reasons for this and what we can do to stop this behavior.

She also shares some mindset tips to change who and what you attract into your life. I love these tips and I think we should apply them often!

Comparison is the Number One Barrier to Wellness

Sarah suffered from breast implant illness for years. She found herself in a bubble of people who denied this could be happening, but eventually discovered how sick her implants were making her.

Sarah shifts into explaining the mindset behind why people get implants. Social media is often blamed for poor body image issues in young women, but it's not uncalled for blame. Sarah believes that social media and comparing ourselves to other women is definitely one of the reasons women get implants.

She encourages you to go on regular social media detoxes. Other wellness practices Sarah promotes are spending time in nature, writing or repeating affirmations, regular meditation, and engaging in mirror work.

One of the ultimate things we need to do in order to heal is to stop comparing ourselves to other people. Comparison doesn't serve you at all, my friends. It's time we let go and embrace who we are as our unique, wonderful selves.

How is this comparison serving you? How is it keeping you in a place of discomfort? What would happen if you actually let it go?

As always, you can ask me anything and let me hear your thoughts in the comments on the episode page. If you have questions, email team@drannacabeca.com.

In This Episode

Why you need to take a holistic approach to your health that includes your mental and emotional along with your physical and nutritional [7:00]
How to unlearn the way you were taught to suffer [12:15]
Why we might engage in self-sabotaging behavior [16:15]
How to control who you attract into your life based on the thoughts you have [20:00]
Some of the symptoms of breast implant illness [25:00]
Why it's important for our mental health to have social media detoxes [29:00]
How to reconnect with yourself by connecting to nature and disconnecting from your thoughts [31:00]
How to break free from comparing ourselves to other people [35:15]

Quotes

"So often, people are reluctant to go beyond the mind because we're taught more research means that we have a higher IQ and we're better at coping with the world and we'll be more successful. But, often, what it really is about is going to the space between the thoughts. It's going into our awareness." [13:50]

"It's not about feeling shame or guilt when you do a behavior that's sabotaging. It's about creating the self-awareness to recognize that there is a different way and once you know better, you'll do better. It's not your fault that you're sabotaging. But it is your responsibility if you want to live an empowered life in a body that you love." [17:11]

"We all face these different parts of our life where something from our past, an old experience, or even a relationship or career might come forward later in your life. It's about having the tools to manage what shows up." [21:04]

"The problem is that we're in this comparison or jealousy model and we're always on social media, we're always looking at other people wondering why we can't look like that. Through the acceptance and surrender, whether it's the sickness, the not feeling well, the how we look, there is this mourning process that happens. On the other side of that is freedom." [31:09]

Resources Mentioned

Find Sarah Anne Stewart Online

Follow Sarah Anne Stewart on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

Join the KetoGreen Community on Facebook

Buy Keto-Green 16

Check out the full episode page

Find Dr. Anna Online

Follow Dr. Anna on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Feeling Fit and Fabulous After Fifty Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

The way we exercise after we turn 50 absolutely has to include a few essential elements. Strength training and working smarter, not harder, will keep you in tip-top condition! I'm joined by Debra Atkinson, founder of Flipping 50, to talk about keeping fit in your menopausal years.

Key Takeaways

Exercise smarter by doing shorter workers with bigger impact. [11:40]
Prioritize strength training in your workouts to support your body as you enter your middle years [30:00]
You should take a longer period of recovery in between strength training sessions. Aim for two sessions a week. [33:00]

About Debra Atkinson

Wellness Coach and Fitness Expert Debra Atkinson has helped over 150,000 women "flip" their second half with the vitality and energy they want. She's the bestselling author of You Still Got It, Girl: The After 50 Fitness Formula for Women; Navigating Fitness After 50: Your GPS For Choosing Programs and Professionals You Can Trust; and Hot, Not Bothered.

Debra hosts Flipping 50 TV and the Flipping 50 podcast, an AARP top podcast for 50+ with over 1 million downloads. She is a frequent speaker and TEDx presenter of Everything Women in Menopause Learned About Exercise May Be a Lie.

She has 36 years of fitness experience, is an International fitness presenter for associations including the International Council on Active Aging, IDEA, NSCA, and Athletic Business, and CanFitPro. She's an American Council on Exercise Subject Matter Expert, and prior Senior Lecturer in Kinesiology at Iowa State University. Debra is also the founder of Flippingfifty.com and creator of the Flipping 50 Fitness Specialist program for fitness professionals. She's a frequent contributor at HuffPost, ShareCare, and other featured outlets and on the Education Advisory Board for Medfit.org.

Why You've Been Exercising Wrong Most of Your Life

If you've been listening to The Girlfriend Doctor podcast for any length of time, you know that research into women's health, especially in our menopausal years, is severely lacking. Unfortunately, this research is no better when it comes to exercise!

I'm joined by Debra Atkinson to talk about how we can create a sustainable exercise plan that will keep us healthy into our 50s and beyond. Debra explains how she discovered the magic formula of exercise after 50: short, 20-minute bursts of exercise where you really get your heart pumping.

It's about working out smarter and harder, not longer.

Debra explains what types of exercise menopausal women should be focusing on. We both understand that we're taught to think that sit-ups and crunches are the keys to a flat and toned stomach. The truth is, these types of exercises that take us into a forward flexion are actually detrimental to our health.

Instead, we should focus on exercises like planks that work on bracing your core. Debra walks us through a simple exercise that helps us learn what it should feel like to engage our core.

What Kind of Exercise You Should Do After 50

Debra shares how, as a society, we've lost the regular daily exercise of yesteryear. Her mother says she doesn't regret exercising more in her life because the hard daily labor of working on a farm kept her fit and healthy. These changes are why it's vital for us to keep exercising well into our old age.

The types of exercise we should really focus on are foot movement and flexibility and strength training. Both of these will help us as we age; foot movement is beneficial for helping us move quicker, especially if we have a trip or a fall. Strength training will help our entire body and mind, and Debra explains why.

When it comes to refueling our bodies after a workout, Debra lets us know exactly when and what type of food we should be consuming. There really is a specific time period where refueling does us best. She shares her favorite post-workout food and talks about other options if you're not a smoothie person.

Finally, Debra encourages you to create a workout routine you can stick to. It should include two strength sessions, three harder 20-minute sessions, and as many walks as you want every week. She also talks about recovery time between sessions and how you can adapt your routine if you don't feel up to a workout.

Are you ready to reclaim your health and fitness after 50? What's your favorite type of exercise? As always, you can ask me anything and let me hear your thoughts in the comments on the episode page. If you have questions, email team@drannacabeca.com.

In This Episode

Why the research into women's health and fitness is lacking [6:00]
Why short workouts are the best way to get your exercise in [11:00]
Why you should focus on bracing your core with exercise like planks rather than focusing on forwarding flexion with exercises like sit-ups [16:00]
A straightforward exercise that engages your core muscles [18:00]
How our cultural lifestyle has changed so we don't get as much daily exercise as we used to [24:00]
Why you should focus on exercises that move your feet in different directions [28:00]
When and what you should eat after your workout [36:25]
How to plan your workout routine that includes flexibility in your schedule and how your body feels [42:00]

Quotes

"It's much more beneficial to do less exercise, just do it with more purpose. That's what I found with all those months sitting in front of my computer, I was barely exercising for 20 minutes, but when you only have 20 minutes, you make every minute count." [11:11]

"You've got to fill this hole up that you've dug yourself into. You have to feel good before you can feel great. Restoring before more so that you've got the energy to actually do the exercise and you're looking forward to it, not dreading it." [24:20]

"If you have a more active life overall, remember that you're exercising so that you can play more in life. Not just exercising to exercise. Twice a week is your golden ticket." [34:19]

Resources Mentioned

Get Your Free Gift from Debra Atkinson!

Watch Debra Atkinson's Ted Talk

Learn more about The Flipping 50 Cafe

Find Debra Atkinson Online

Follow Debra Atkinson on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Find Dr. Anna Cabeca Online

Follow Dr. Anna Cabeca on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube

Join the KetoGreen Community on Facebook

Buy Keto-Green 16

Check out the full episode page

How to Support Yourself Through Grief Using Brainspotting Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

Grief is one of the most difficult emotions for humans to process. I'm joined by grief therapist, Deb Antinori, to talk about how you can support yourself with brainspotting, a technique designed to ground and calm yourself.

Key Takeaways:

Identify what feels good, comfortable, or at least "less bad" in your body, then avert your gaze and try to return to a state of homeostasis. [26:00]
Be gentle with yourself right now. The world is going through a collective trauma, so cut yourself some slack. [34:00]

About Deb Antinori

Deborah Antinori, MA, LPC, FT, RDT is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 29 years in private practice. She is a Brainspotting Trainer and Certified Consultant. She has been using Brainspotting since its inception in 2003 as she met the developer of Brainspotting, David Grand, in the late '90s when he was her supervisor for her private practice of therapy.

As a grief therapist, Deborah holds her FT, Fellow in Thanatology, from the Association for Death Education and Counseling. She authored a chapter on Grief and Brainspotting in The Power of Brainspotting: An International Anthology. Deborah is the author and narrator of the double award-winning audiobook, Journey Through Pet Loss. (Audie Award - Audio Publishers Association, ForeWord Book of the Year Award – Silver)

She is a master's graduate of NYU's Drama Therapy Dept. Originally an actress, she earned her BFA from the Boston Conservatory of Music and is still in the professional actor's unions, AEA and SAG/AFTRA.

She has begun work on a Ph.D. through the International University for Graduate Studies and is hoping to be able to get to Innsbruck for an EEG study with her mentor, Damir DelMonte, Ph.D., on Brainspotting for her Ph.D. when the travel bans lift.

Grief Is Difficult Whether It's a Pet or a Loved One

Deb joins me to talk about the intersection of grief and brainspotting. Grief is one of the most difficult emotions for humans to process, regardless of whether it's from the death of a loved one, a pet, or a different experience of loss.

One of Deb's specialties is working with people who have lost a pet. The death of our pets impacts many of us just as hard, if not harder than the loss of a loved one.

We all know how good it feels to sit and cuddle with our pets when times are tough. That sense of comfort and wholeness gets so many of us through difficult times.

That's one of the biggest reasons losing a pet is difficult. Deb explains what stages of grief look like when our pets die; they're not altogether dissimilar to when we lose a loved one.

Deb talks us through a practice we can use when we're settling into our feelings of grief. She explains how this practice can help calm us down. It's called brainspotting, and Deb has been using it since 2003.

How Brainspotting Helps You Process

Brainspotting helps you process difficult information and return to a state of calm. The three stages brainspotting helps guide you through are survival, homeostasis, and restoration. Our brains are at their best when they're in homeostasis and restoration.

In this episode, Deb actually guides us through the brainspotting process. We take a few minutes to guide ourselves into the right space and sitting, breathing, and feeling our brains return to homeostasis.

Just like every new technique, brainspotting is something you need to consistently practice in order for it to have a positive benefit on your life and mental health. When you use it regularly, you'll have a much easier time of returning to that state of calm.

Finally, I really just want to give you permission to be kind to yourself. 2020 has been hard for all of us and it's absolutely okay if you're experiencing feelings of grief and overwhelm. I hope that Deb's advice and brainspotting technique can help you return to your own natural state of homeostasis.

Do something to get yourself out of your comfort zone. Collage, dance, chase your dog, watch a new series on Netflix. Get out there so you can get back into your zone.

As always, you can ask me anything and let me hear your thoughts in the comments on the episode page. If you have questions, email team@drannacabeca.com.

In This Episode:

Why we feel so good when we're cuddling with our pets [5:30]
The stages of grief when we lose a pet [6:30]
A quick practice we can use when we're experiencing moments of grief [12:00]
What brainspotting is and how you can use it for yourself [14:45]
What happens when you bring your brain back into homeostasis and restoration [17:50]
A simple technique to help you return to a state of calmness [24:00]
Why you need to practice brain spotting to strengthen your mastery of it [30:00]
Why you need to be gentle yourself during these huge times of global trauma and existentialism [34:00]

Quotes:

"Moving with the feeling in the moment is the best way to help things move in a direction where you can get to the better feelings in time about the wonderful memories." [12:02]

"Each person will do brainspotting differently. They'll find a way that works for them. Some people find the spot immediately, some other people struggle: that's where we say, 'just guess.' Because, when you guess, you're using your subcortical brain, and that's what we really look at in the brain spotting." [28:46]

"Just have an appreciation for what your core brain and system is trying to put together. Be gentle with yourself and don't expect yourself to be perfect. Don't put that extra stress on yourself at this time when there are a lot of trauma signals." [34:24]

Resources Mentioned

Learn more about Brainspotting

Find Deb Antinori Online

You can email Deb Antinori at dantinori@gmail.com

Join the KetoGreen Community on Facebook

Buy Keto-Green 16

Check out the full episode page

Find Dr. Anna Online

Follow Dr. Anna on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

How to Create Your Joyful, Authentic Personal Brand Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

Showing up as your most authentic self to create your brand is the future for women in perimenopause and menopause. I'm joined by speaker and personal branding expert, Juju Hook, to talk about how you can create your own personal brand.

Key Takeaways

Search for what lights you up. When you find that one thing that brings you joy, create your personal brand around that. [14:15]
Don't wait for the other shoe to drop. Create your own success by finally embracing what it is YOU want to do after all these years of pleasing everyone else. [26:00]
Commit to doing the mirror work. Stand in front of your mirror and speak to yourself. Ask yourself what you want to do and listen to the answer. [29:35]

About Juju Hook

Juju Hook is a consultant, coach, and speaker. For more than a quarter-century she developed brand strategies for corporations.

Today, through online programs, live events, and one-to-one coaching, Juju motivates, inspires, and educates PrimeTime women in topics related to business, life, and relationships.

She holds a BA in English, an MBA, and is a certified coach and a yoga teacher. Juju lives in San Diego with her husband and her son. You can find her branding blog at StrategicJuju.com and her program for PrimeTime women at PositivelyPrimeTime.com.

You're Entering Your Ultimate Prime Time

Put your hand up if you have kept yourself, your hopes, and your dreams on the back burner for most of your life. You put your family, your friends, and your career first, but you've never really given much thought to what it is you actually want to do.

I'm joined by Juju Hook, a branding expert who works with women in the prime of their lives, to talk about how you can reclaim that essence of who you really are and finally create the life and career you've always wanted. Your perimenopause and menopausal years are the absolute best time to reinvent yourself - as Juju says, they're your primetime!

Juju shares her amazing wisdom that's come from personal experience. There came a pivotal moment in her life when she knew her destiny was for greater things - and when she finally had the space to do it in her family life, she jumped at the chance.

Speaking with Juju, you can see the tremendous potential that you have. You can take what you already love and what you're already good at and turn it into something uniquely you. You can start your own business based on YOU: your personal brand that makes people want to buy from you.

Juju encourages you to think outside the box. If you've had a career in marketing, you don't need to just keep being a marketer for the rest of your life. In fact, this was Juju's own career, which she's since reinvented to help women with their personal branding.

Showing up Joyfully as Yourself

What makes your new brand work is that you're showing up by being your most authentic self. People love to work with other people. When you shine through and bring your whole personality to your brand, you'll naturally attract the kind of people you want to work with - and who want to work with you.

But of course, there will be people out there who don't like what you're putting out there. Juju is here to tell you that that's absolutely okay! You don't have to be everyone's cup of tea. She shares her best advice on how you can handle negative feedback and criticism.

But ultimately, when you're showing up joyfully as your authentic self, you will start bringing in money and success!

This was such a joyful conversation with Juju. By embracing our beginner's mind, following what our heart and head knows we've always loved and wanted to pursue, and showing up authentically, we will have success in rebranding ourselves during our Prime Time!

Share with me in the comments what your Essence of Influence is. As always, you can ask me anything and let me hear your thoughts in the comments on the episode page. If you have questions, email team@drannacabeca.com.

In This Episode

Why your perimenopause and menopausal years are the best time for reinvention [6:00]
How you can apply your skills and expertise to something entirely new and different that will fulfill your menopausal years [11:45]
How joy and clarity on who your authentic self is can bring money and success [17:45]
What you need to know about hearing negative feedback when you've created a personal brand [19:30]
What power there is in the beginner's mind [28:20]

Quotes

"There's a beautiful pivot if you can figure out how to apply your mastery to a new thing." [11:09]

"If you can show people who you are and express who you are, you'll attract the people who want what you have. It's understanding that 'I have enough, it'll work for me, too.'" [16:08]

"You can't go your whole life wanting to do something, or wanting to try something, and then deciding, 'oh well, it's too late. I didn't do it. My ship has sailed.'" [27:53]

"I really invite women to lean into whatever this thing is that you feel you're too much of or that you're pushing down, that you don't want people to see about you. Because it wants to come out and it was meant to." [32:42]

Resources Mentioned

Discover Your Essence of Influence

Join Juju Hook's PrimeTime Posse on Facebook

Check out Episode 42: Food As Medicine To Help Anxiety w/ Ali Miller

Find Juju Hook Online

Follow Juju Hook on Facebook | Instagram

Join the KetoGreen Community on Facebook

Buy Keto-Green 16

Check out the full episode page

Find Dr. Anna Online

Follow Dr. Anna on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Related Episodes