The Health Bridge

Clothing and fashion holds different meaning and importance for everyone. For some, it's very important to put together a wardrobe while some others might not care one bit if a certain shirt goes with a certain pair of jeans. What we wear can convey a lot of information to others. In this episode of The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Melissa Kathryn and she discusses the connection between fashion and body image. Melissa comes from a fashion design background and discusses how the fashion industry fuels body image and how it can negatively affect younger children. How can we gain the right mindset to feel sexy and comfortable in our clothes even if we don't look like the models on a fashion runway?

In this holiday release of The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome James Swanwick. James used to be a drinker of alcohol, though he wasn't a down and out alcoholic. However, a few years back he made the decision to avoid alcohol completely. How did that affect his social life going out? In many societies and cultures, drinking is almost a rite of passage signifying the change from a child to becoming an adult. For some it's a way to cut loose on a Friday night after a long work week. For some it's liquid courage and the way to loosen up to have fun. But is it possible to give ourselves the permission to have fun without the aid of alcohol? Why must we poison our bodies in order to have some fun?

The holidays are meant to be a time to relax with the ones we love. The kids are on winter break and other family you may not have seen for a while are flying in. Why then, between shopping for gifts and attending various holiday parties, can the holiday season be such a stressful time? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai take a look at the original intentions of the holiday season, what it has become, and how we can take the time to relax during the winter season. From both Sara's and Pedram's team and everyone at The Health Bridge, we wish every listener a safe and happy holiday!

For some, pooping can be an issue. Of course we all do it, but how frequently do you go? In this episode, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai talk all about constipation. It's important to pay attention to what we deposit into the toilet. Also important is noting the amount of time it takes between eating food and passing it in the restroom. What's considered normal? What if we don't have daily bowel movements? What if we pass food too quickly? And if we don't have movements often what can we do to become more regular?

Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried officially complete their 100-day gongs! They recently spoke about this as they were nearing the finish line but now they speak from the other side. What changes have occurred in 100 days? What challenges did they face? And now that the 100 days are done, what actions are taken now? How are the habits built up during the gong carried out into normal every day life out of a gong? They recorded this episode a few weeks ago, but plan to start another gong on Sunday, December 21st so there's plenty of time to prepare and join them! Tell us what you plan to do for your gong at Facebook.com/TheHealthBridge!

Various health experts and nutrition experts have written frequently over the past few years that grains are terribly unhealthy. Are grains really that bad? Humans have been eating grains for thousands of years. Why then suddenly should we try to avoid them? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai try to make sense of all the grain data. They look at grains from a nutritional standpoint and compare its nutritional value to that of vegetables. They also discuss ways grains may affect a person even if they're not gluten sensitive. What is the role of grains in the standard diet and how can a person find out how they're affected by grains?

We live in a media and image driven world. We're often bombarded with images of men and women in top physical form and deride ourselves over the fact that we don't look like Ryan Gosling or have the body shape of Charlize Theron. Though we may not be in top physical shape, how can we still be satisfied with our own bodies? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai this week take on the troubling issue of body image. For some people it's agony comparing themselves to others. It might lead to issues both physical and psychological. How can we accept the genetics we're given and appreciate ourselves for just being?

We've all been overwhelmed by life at some point. Whether it's trying to handle the kids or the work or the chores that need to be done or a combination of all of it, sometimes things just get out of hand. Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried in this episode talk all about the effects of being overwhelmed. In what ways can we be overwhelmed? How could we change our view on time and time management that could help alleviate some of the overwhelm? In what ways might we be contributing to our own feeling of overwhelm? And if the feeling of overwhelm can't be entirely alleviated, in what ways can we adapt to live with it? This one's explict for a few choice four-lettered words.

For many, eating is just a thing one does when hungry. But this week, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome guest Marc David who discusses our mentality and how it affects the way we eat. Marc goes even further to discuss how mentality can shape the perception of ourselves, how it can alter the perception of time, and how it can change our relationship with food. How can we fully nourish the body to give it what it wants? How can digestion be altered by our moods? When we eat too fast, what information are we missing by not taking the time to actually taste our food?

For those of you in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! If you've been listening to The Health Bridge for a while, you'll know that Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried have been on a Gong for the last 100 days. Well the 100 days means the gong is complete. Sara and Pedram discuss how their gongs went and what improvements they can see after 100 days. Sara is open and admits some of the difficulties she faced when the gong first began. Now that the gong is over, what are the next steps? How soon should one wait before starting the next gong?

Previously, Sara Gottfried asked Pedram Shojai about the process of making his new movie, "Origins." Now some time has passed and the movie has actually been released. Sara asks Pedram on the response to the movie and they discuss a few points made in the movie. Sara and Pedram discuss a point made in the movie of how bad fats should be avoided but how sugar is also just as bad. For more info on how to see "Origins," visit Facebook.com/TheHealthBridge.

This week on The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai answer a question that was posted on the Facebook page! We do actually read those! Lisa posted, "I'm wondering what role you see the nursing profession playing in the Functional Medicine movement." A very interesting question. As health care becomes more specialized and segmented, will the models that work in one area carry over into others? How important is it that everyone behind the pharmacy counter know as much as the doctor that prescribed the medication in the first place? Pedram and Sara explore the changing medical system and if every piece still has a part to play in the future.

In the last decade there has been a rise in the diagnosis of ADD and ADHD in both children and adults. Often, the remedy to this is to take prescription medicine. This week Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried discuss if there are any other ways to try and treat ADD and ADHD. Of course, if a physician recommends medicine, it's definitely recommended to listen to them, but what other factors could be contributing to the diagnosis? Could it be the food we eat? Could it be factors in the environment that contribute to ADD and ADHD?

There's no denying that women and men are biologically different from one another. How does that impact the health care a person receives? When a person is being examined by a health care professional is the gender of the person being taken into account? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss the different ways men and womens' bodies respond to stress. What differences can be seen in the microbiome between the two genders? It's important to note the differences so not to treat the genders differently but rather to better understand each gender.

Foods have a strong power. We might be aware of it, but all the same we might not fully understand the power. For some of us, it goes beyond a simple craving for pizza and brownies. For some of us, as hard as we may try, we must have the pizza. Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai in this episode of The Health Bridge discuss the power of food addictions. Food addiction could potentially be the barrier keeping some from reaching their full healthy potential. Is it real? What causes it? Why does our body crave certain foods? And how can we break the addiction?

Many of us have lost touch with nature. Maybe at most we'll go on a short walk and look at the trees, but we're still quite surrounded by urban structures. Pedram Shojai recently removed the lawn from his backyard and turned it into a home garden with six raised beds. Sara Gottfried asks him about the troubles of starting a home garden. Pedram immediately realized that for trying to be as natural as he can, he doesn't know a thing about growing food in his backyard. And so with the home garden, it is his chance to reconnect to the earth and get his hands into the dirt and see the process and time it takes to grow food.

When Pedram Shojai got his check-up before starting the 100-day gong he got some surprising news from Dr. Alan Christianson, his liver wasn't looking so great. This was a bit of a surprise as Pedram keeps alcohol and junk food consumption at minimum and there's little reason for his liver to have any issues. But the tests were very clear, Pedram needed to clean his liver. This week on The Health Bridge, he and Sara Gottfried talk about the importance of the liver and what happens when it's loaded with toxins. What can be done to detoxify the liver? Why is it important to detox? What is the process of detoxification?

Mind over matter. We've heard it all before. But what does that really entail? This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Michael Lovitch to The Health Bridge. They get into the topic of negative thinking and its effects. Is negative thinking something we should avoid? Could negative thinking lead us to try harder to avoid negative outcomes? Lovitch also brings up the concept of trying to live a full life and have fun even if it means not being so strict with the health stuff. This one's explicit for some language.

Continuing with the talk of genetics, Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried discuss calcium channels. What are calcium channels and how do they affect different systems of the body? How does the genetics we're given affect the calcium channels in our body? What can we do about that? How does Omega-3 affect the systems in our body? Who should and who should not take Omega-3 supplements? Pedram and Sara dive right in!

This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai take a look at genetics. It's important to know the genetic factors that may affect our personal health and make adjustments to our behaviors to fit. Sara and Pedram recently had their genetics charted before starting their gongs and they were surprised at what they found. How much control do we have over our genetics? What factors can genetics affect? What tests can be taken to discover exactly how our genetics may affect different factiors? And even if genetics have a hold over major factors, what can be done to offset the genetic control?