Healthier Today: Recent Episodes
Jared Talavera
‘Healthier Today’ combines storytelling, interviews and science to uncover the unique ways people are living healthier today.
Episode 10 | Season 3
Dino is the founder of Project Reboot which is on a mission to help students reset their digital habits and show up to their lives more mindfully.
Photo credit: Dino Ambrosi.
Music and sound effects: Storyblocks and Audiio.
TIME STAMPS
[00:03] Introduction to Dino Ambrosi.
[01:26] Dino’s experience owning his first phone.
[02:57] The cost of consuming short online content.
[06:46] Mimetic theory.
[07:56] The effect of the pandemic on social media use.
[09:48] Brain drain study.
[11:20] Dino’s story of overcoming social media and phone addiction.
[18:13] Morning routine.
[20:13] Work-life balance.
[23:07] Tips for decreasing phone and social media use.
[38:01] What living healthier today means to Dino.
[38:39] Advice for his 18-year old self.
[40:03] Setting boundaries with digital devices and meditation.
[41:16] Outro.
RESOURCES
- App: One Sec.
- Article: Having a smartphone nearby decreases ‘brain power’.
- TED Talk: The battle for your time: Exposing the hidden costs of social media.
- TED Talk: The psychology of your future self.
- Video: "It's difficult to compete with someone having fun"—Chris Williamson, host of the Modern Wisdom podcast.
CONNECT WITH DINO AMBROSI
projectreboot.school
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
Blog | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
DISCLAIMER
The Healthier Today podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 9 | Season 3
Ray Zahab is an ultra-marathon runner and adventurer from Canada. He is also the founder of the non-profit organisation impossible2Possible which provides enriching, empowering and educative travel expeditions for youth.
Photo credit: Ray Zahab (@rayzahab).
Music and sound effects: Storyblocks and Audiio.
TIME STAMPS
[00:03] Introduction to Ray Zahab.
[1:20] Why his expedition during February 2023 was really special and personal to him.
[3:27] How Ray found the motivation to go on expeditions whilst going through cancer treatment.
[4:16] Challenges he faced whilst he was on his Arctic expedition.
[8:02] Parenting.
[10:44] Ray’s life before he was an ultra-marathon runner.
[10:37] How checklists and checkpoints assist with efficiency and safety.
[15:57] Life lessons from Ray’s humble beginnings growing up in the countryside of Canada.
[20:00] What living healthier today means to Ray.
[21:15] Advice for her 18-year-old self.
[23:34] Outro.
RESOURCES
- Study on the fresh start effect.
- Movie: Running the Sahara.
- TV series: The Project: Guatemala.
CONNECT WITH RAY ZAHAB
RayZahab.com| Impossible2Possible | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
Blog | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
DISCLAIMER
The Healthier Today podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 8 | Season 3
Becky is on a mission to share how tattoos are more than just works of art. They are deeply connected to a person’s identity and their quality of life.
Photo credit: Becky Barker (@mastectomyart)
Music and sound effects: Storyblocks and Audiio.
TIME STAMPS
[00:03] Introduction to Becky Barker.
[0:54] The history of tattooing.
[3:39] How tattoos can empower those who have gone through a mastectomy.
[11:07] The emotional side of paramedical tattoos.
[12:38] The experience of receiving a tattoo can influence how a person emotionally connects with their tattoo.
[14:04] Becky discusses the tattoos she has.
[15:39] Her experience of redesigning one of her tattoos into a rose.
[16:47] How to minimise regret with tattoos.
[21.43] The work Becky is doing with the charity ‘Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance (MTA)’.
[24:08] Misconceptions people may have with areola tattooing.
[26:57] What the tattoo culture was like when Becky was getting started in her career.
[30:00] Her experience playing bass in a band.
[31:44] Tattooing can be just as meaningful, purposeful and rewarding for the artist as it is for the client.
[35:23] Becky’s commitment to both her clients and family.
[39:00] What living healthier today means to Becky.
[39:33] Advice for her 18-year old self.
[40:17] Outro.
RESOURCES
A.R.T: Areola Restorative Tattoo.
Becky Barker's TED Talk: The restorative power of medical tattoos.
CONNECT WITH BECKY BARKER
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CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
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DISCLAIMER
The Healthier Today podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 7 | Season 3
Nick Di Brizzi Jr is a realtor and actor from California. He has starred in TV shows such as Fargo, CSI: NY and in his own documentary ‘Fight Like A Boss’ which is about his journey to being on the double lung transplant wait list as a person living with cystic fibrosis.
When he received his double lung transplant, he made a promise to his donor that he would dedicate his life to supporting others living with cystic fibrosis.
Today Nick is the founder and CEO of the non-profit Breathe Like A Boss Foundation which supports people living with cystic fibrosis have access to exercise equipment.
Music and sound effects: Storyblocks.
Photo: Nick Di Brizzi Jr.
TIME STAMPS
[00:03] Introduction to Nick Di Brizzi Jr.
[46:11] Double lung transplant experience.
[10:15] Prognosis for cystic fibrosis during the 1980s.
[14:12] Nick visiting Italy for the first time after his double lung transplant.
[16:48] Kidney transplant experience.
[20:25] The value of gratitude in Nick’s life.
[29:26] Why Saint Bernardine of Siena is particularly meaningful to Nick.
[31:23] The value of hope and faith.
[35:58] What makes the Fits and Giggles fantasy football league unique.
[38:39] What living healthier today means to Nick.
[42:36] Nick suggests some of his favorite places to eat in Italy and California.
[45:03] Outro.
RESOURCES
Documentary: Fight Like A Boss.
Living Breath Foundation.
Breathe Like A Boss Foundation.
TV series: Fargo.
CONNECT WITH NICK DI BRIZZI JR
Website| Facebook | Instagram
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
Blog | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
DISCLAIMER
The Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 5 | Season 3David Leventhal has had a distinguished career as a professional dancer. His background as a dancer has given him a unique perspective on motivation, human movement and what it takes to live a creatively fulfilling life. Today, he is the director of the global dance program, Dance for PD, which is based at the Mark Morris Dance Group in New York City.
The program was established in 2001 as a collaboration between the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, a local support organization for people living with Parkinson's. The team at Dance for PD translate the art and science of dance to improve the quality of life for people living with Parkinson's disease.
Time Stamps[00:04] Introduction to David Leventhal and Dance for PD.
[5:44] Participants are dancers not patients.
[13:19] Dance is a unique form of physical activity.
[21:32] How Dance for PD was established.
[25:55] Global ecosystem of Dance for PD programs.
[28:36] Dance curriculum is catered to the culture of where it is being delivered.
[31:14] When and how research started to inform how the dance classes were taught.
[33:15] Arts culture and research institutions of New York City.
[39:20] Performance at the Flynn Theater in Vermont.
[41:34] How the COVID-19 pandemic affected overall dance classes.
[47:07] Improvements in dance class arrangements after the pandemic.
[51:57] What David’s career has taught him about human resilience.
[57:03] How David knew he wanted to pursue a career in dance.
[58:38] What living healthier today means to David.
[1:00:00] Advice for his 18-year-old self.
[1:01:00] Outro.
Photo: David Leventhal (courtesy of Dance for PD).
Music and sound effects: Storyblocks.
Learn more about Dance for PDDanceforParkinsons.org| Facebook | Twitter
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DisclaimerThe Healthier Today podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 2 | Season 3 | Healthier Today
There are approximately 70,000 people worldwide living with the genetic condition cystic fibrosis. It causes a build-up of mucus in the lungs, digestive system and reproductive organs. American woman Caleigh Haber - Takayama is just one the thousands of people living with the condition. Her husband Bryan Takayama has a background in strategy and logistics which has been tremendously resourceful in Caleigh’s care. This is their story for the Healthier Today podcast.
TIME STAMPS
[00:04] Introduction to Caleigh Haber Takayama + Bryan Takayama.
[4:19] How Bryan developed his caring nature.
[6:58] How cystic fibrosis influenced Caleigh’s ability to travel.
[8:07] Caleigh’s experience working as a chef.
[9:16] The career Bryan wanted to pursue when he was younger.
[10:32] What the amazing people in Caleigh’s life taught her about what it means to be a good person.
[12:25] How Caleigh and Bryan met.
[16:20] What Bryan loves about Caleigh.
[19:47] The balance between assistance and independence in a relationship.
[24:24] What goes into planning a trip?
[27:54] Bucket lists.
[29:26] Parallels between the author’s experience of cancer in ‘Between Two Kingdoms and Caleigh’s experience with cystic fibrosis.
[32:11] How cystic fibrosis has changed the way Caleigh and Bryan think about time.
[34:29] What living healthier today means to Caleigh and Bryan.
[36:25] Advice for their 18-year-old selves.
[38:33] The story behind Caleigh and Bryan’s wedding day.
[44:11] Caleigh asks Jared what he would tell his 18-year old self.
[44:28] Bryan asks Jared what motivates him to do the Healthier Today podcast.
Music and sound effects: Storyblocks.
Photo credit: Caleigh Haber Takayama and Bryan Takayama (@Fight2Breathe).
CONNECT WITH CALEIGH AND BRYAN
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DISCLAIMER
The Healthier Today podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 1 | Season 3 | Healthier Today
Preventable eye diseases are a major cause of blindness in India. In 1976, ophthalmologist Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy, or Dr. V as he is affectionately known as, wanted to do something about this. Dr. V was inspired by the efficiency of the fast food industry and wondered if a similar model could be replicated in healthcare. His inspiration led to establishing an 11-bed hospital in Madurai, India known as Aravind Eye Hospital. Anyone who needs eye treatment is welcomed irrespective of their economic status. Today, Aravind Eye Care System is home to one of the largest eye hospitals in the world. Today on the podcast paediatric ophthalmologist Dr. Sathya Ravilla shares the story of Aravind.
TIME STAMPS
[00:03] Introduction to Aravind Eye Hospital and Dr. Sathya Ravilla.
[1:09] Why the founder of Aravind Eye Hospital was inspired by the fast-food industry.
[2:14] What is considered needless blindness?
[3:34] What are cataracts? What is glaucoma?
[4:39] History of intraocular lenses.
[7:10] How Aravind Eye Hospital became a business case study at a prestigious business school.
[10:37] How checklists and checkpoints assist with efficiency and safety.
[13:37] Innovative technology behind diagnosing and treating eye diseases.
[17.42] How vision influences quality of life.
[21:01] What living healthier today means to Sathya.
[22:30] Advice for her 18-year-old self.
Music and sound effects: Storyblocks.
Photo credit: Dr. Sathya Ravilla / Aravind Eye Care System.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ARAVIND EYE CARE SYSTEM
Website| Facebook | YouTube |
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
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DISCLAIMER
The Healthier Today podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
TRAILER | SEASON 3 | HEALTHER TODAY
Trailer: Season 3
Welcome to season 3 of the Healthier Today podcast. Hear the stories of how people are making the world a better place through health, relationships, technology and economics.
Music and sound effects from Storyblocks.
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
Facebook | Instagram |Twitter | Blog
DISCLAIMER
The Healthier Today podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EPISODE 10 | SEASON 2 | HEALTHIER TODAY
Tethering an online community for men’s mental health | Addison Brasil
At 19, Addison Brasil had already lost his brother to cancer and his father suicide. After being in a car accident that left his close friend dead and his own walking ability limited, Addison learned of the importance of channeling grief, trauma, sadness, and anxiety as a man in a hyper-masculine society. As a way to spread awareness on the importance of mental health, Addison Brasil co-founded the men's mental health app 'Tethr' as a way of cultivating a safe and sacred space for men. Listen on for an inspiring conversation on grief, men’s mental health, and the importance of little celebrations.
- What inspires Addison to be an advocate for men’s mental health [0:42]
- Addison’s early 20s and the tumultuous times that came with them [2:11]
- What Addison felt his father needed to improve his mental health [4:46]
- How Addison’s app Tether helps build a community for men [6:57]
- How men respond to other mentally conscious behavior from other men [8:06]
- How Addison witnessed how the COVID pandemic impacted men’s mental health [8:52]
- How Tether works [11:20]
- The importance of celebrating the little good things [14:19]
- Exploring the micro-opportunities to celebrate [15:36]
- Why Robin Williams was an inspiration for Addison [17:42]
- What living healthier today means for Addison [22:18]
- What Addison would do to his 18 year-old self [22:59]
- Addison’s parting advice [24:52]
CONNECT WITH ADDISON BRASIL
Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn |Twitter | Tethr.men
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
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HEALTHIER TODAY TEAM
Host: Jared Talavera
Co-host/Voiceover artist: Yani Harris
Assistants: Taneer and Atkia Sadia
Script writer: Brian Ariotti
Audio production: Resonate Recordings.
DISCLAIMER
Information from the Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
EPISODE 9 | SEASON 2 | HEALTHIER TODAY
A monk’s guide to life | Pandit Dasa
Pandit Dasa immigrated from India with his family when he was just a child. With no money in their pockets, Pandit witnessed firsthand the importance of working hard. Over the years, Pandit would learn to define his own life based on those same experiences. After 15 years as a monk in a monastery in India and then New York City, Pandit seeks to share his wealth of knowledge on mental health, forgiveness, jealousy, and success. He now shares his wisdom with college students but didn’t hesitate to share his own life experience with Jared. Listen on for the enriching conversation.
- What Pandit learned from his experienced immigrating from India at an early age [0:47]
- What Pandit learned from his parents and how they influenced him [2:05]
- How Pandit’s resilience has gotten stronger over the years [3:42]
- How Pandit learned to be more compassionate and less hostile [4:51]
- Why we can choose where we come from [8:03]
- What it was like for Pandit to be a monk in New York City [10:10]
- How young students resonated to Eastern medicines and philosophies [12:15]
- How the mind’s thoughts and emotions affect behavior [14:07]
- How meditation helps us become more aware of our thoughts [16:20]
- Why one suffers most in the mind [18:10]
- How Pandit deals with uncertainty [20:10]
- What Eastern philosophies say about social media, comparisons, and anxiety [23:24]
- How Pandit would define success and finding positive relationships [26:22]
- What Pandit believes is the meaning of life [28:40]
- What living healthy today means for Pandit [29:47]
- What Pandit would tell his 18 year-old self [31:14]
- Pandit’s parting advice [31:09]
CONNECT WITH PANDIT DASA
Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn |Twitter | YouTube | PanditDasa.com
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
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HEALTHIER TODAY TEAM
Host: Jared Talavera
Co-host/Voiceover artist: Yani Harris
Assistants: Taneer and Atkia Sadia
Script writer: Brian Ariotti
Audio production: Resonate Recordings.
DISCLAIMER
Information from the Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
EPISODE 8 | SEASON 2 | HEALTHIER TODAY
From doctor to entrepreneur | Jay Feldman
When Jay Feldman was arrested at 17, he thought his life was finished. But over the course of 12 years, he would quickly discover the meaning of hard work, dedication, perseverance, and passion. As a doctor-turned-entrepreneur, Jay strives to create awareness on important medical issues and topics through his own business. Now, as a 29 year-old, Jay is successful and thriving. But to him, the grind never stops. He has learned that growth paves the way for happiness and that it is an everlasting journey. Listen on for a conversation on hope, the American healthcare system, and why success should not entirely define who you are.
- How Jay figured out he wanted to be a doctor [0:35]
- How osteopathy school works in U.S. [3:23]
- Why sharing medical information is important to Jay [4:35]
- Why the American healthcare system is so expensive [6:55]
- Why Jay wanted to leave medical school and cultivate his business [8:51]
- Doctors and social media [10:33]
- How Jay has zero liability in sharing medical advice and education [13:19]
- How being a doctor has influenced Jay’s life [15:07]
- Why medical school was a necessary step in the path to where Jay is now [17:28]
- Why Jay never had a backup plan [21:07]
- How Jay navigated life’s most important questions and acknowledges that entrepreneurship is not for everyone [22:47]
- Where Jay developed his own high tolerance of high-risk and why it can be a combination of nature versus nurture[24:57]
- Why it can be easy to be complacent with success but hard to keep going after levels of success [28:30]
- How Jay’s life changed after achieving financial success [29:02]
- Why growth is essential for happiness [33:21]
- How Jay would starts a business today without knowledge and why not going to business school can be an advantage [33:07]
- What living healthy today means for Jay [36:54]
- What Jay would tell his 18 year-old self [38:25]
- Jay’s parting advice [39:38]
CONNECT WITH JAY FELDMAN
Facebook | Instagram |Twitter | LinkedIn
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
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HEALTHIER TODAY TEAM
Host: Jared Talavera
Co-host/Voiceover artist: Yani Harris
Assistants: Taneer and Atkia Sadia
Script writer: Brian Ariotti
Audio production: Resonate Recordings.
DISCLAIMER
Information from the Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
EPISODE 7 | SEASON 2 | HEALTHIER TODAY
Overcoming self-sabotage | Victoria Rivera
Victoria has spent the last 15 years as a holistically oriented psychotherapist striving for emotional and mental balance for everyone. In conversation with host Jared, Victoria discusses the importance of mental health, what a psychotherapist is and does, and the impact of stress from early childhood. Listen on for a conversation about touch hunger, how poverty affects mental health, and how many things in life are geared towards survival.
- What a psychotherapist is and does [0:44]
- How psychotherapy involves many disciplines [2:57]
- Why we don’t have full control over our bodies to make the right decisions [4:18]
- Why we overthink and have a hard time interpreting text messages [5:57]
- How emojis convey emotions effectively [7:12]
- Victoria talks about how it is always important to always perceive information as positive [8:02]
- Why horror movies are stressful but highly entertaining and the impact they have on health [10:03]
- How we define what stress is and the difference between good and bad stress [13:04]
- When stress becomes good and helps you adapt [14:24]
- Parenting and the role of stress [15:11]
- How stress from early childhood affects their adulthood [18:02]
- Why everything is all geared towards survival [20:01]
- Confinement and the COVID perspective [21:40]
- Why it feels lonely despite a growing world population [23:26]
- The COVID pandemic, touch hunger, and the importance of touch from an early age [26:22]
- Why touch is essential for survival [28:41]
- Why you can’t think your way out of stress [30:29]
- Why meditation is not thinking your way out of stress [33:27]
- Why breathing is the key to de-activating nervous system [35:30]
- How poverty affects mental health [37:37]
- How poverty can influence one’s health and mental state [40:37]
- What living healthy today means for Victoria [42:32]
- What Victoria would tell her 18 year-old self [45:45]
- Victoria’s parting advice [47:23]
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA RIVERA
Facebook | Instagram |LinkedIn | YouTube | Website
Psychology Today articles
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
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HEALTHIER TODAY TEAM
Host: Jared Talavera
Co-host/Voiceover artist: Yani Harris
Assistants: Taneer and Atkia Sadia
Script writer: Brian Ariotti
Audio production: Resonate Recordings.
DISCLAIMER
Information from the Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
EPISODE 6 | SEASON 2 | HEALTHIER TODAY
The facial personal trainer | Karese Laguerre
Karese Laguerre spent years watching her children suffer with undiagnosed breathing issues with no clue on how to approach the issue. However, when she discovered myofunctional therapy and its healing powers, her children’s lives - and her very own life - were completely changed. Listen on to understand what a myofunctional therapist, and most importantly, Karese’s journey as a therapist and sleep connoisseur.
- What is myofunctional therapy? [0:48]
- What does a myotherapist do and where does one find one? [1:32]
- How Karese discovered myotherapy was a career field she wanted to pursue [2:20]
- The importance of function, aesthetics and structure in myotherapy [4:17]
- Karese goes over some of the exercises she instructs [5:38]
- How a person knows the exercises is working for them [7:17]
- Tightness in jaws and issues oral facial structure and its impact on singing abilities [8:08]
- How different breathing mechanisms affect one’s health and the difference between nose and mouth breathing [9:58]
- The importance of inhalations and exhalations in your physical and cardiological health [13:17]
- The difference between mouth breathing while awake and while asleep [14:30]
- The biggest misconceptions on sleep [16:16]
- Where the idea of eight hours of sleep comes from and how that differs from our lifestyle today [18:27]
- Healthy functioning, less sleeping hours, and the conditions of healthy sleep [19:58]
- How the corporate is adapting to better sleeping demands [21:12]
- The impact that good sleep has on marriage [22:56]
- How to mitigate impending sleep issues [24:00]
- The value of a full-nights sleep compared to a nap [24:49]
- Karese talks about how there is a lack of fundamental education on sleep and how she seeked out information on her own [25:47]
- Karese discusses her role in sleep screenings [27:49]
- What living healthier today means to Karese [28:28]
- What Karese would tell her 18 year-old self [29:27]
- Karese shares her biggest advice [30:31]
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | KareseLaguerre.com
Udemy course: F.R.E.E. Your Tongue
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
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HEALTHIER TODAY TEAM
Host: Jared Talavera
Co-host/Voiceover artist: Yani Harris
Assistants: Taneer and Atkia Sadia
Script writer: Brian Ariotti
Audio production: Resonate Recordings.
DISCLAIMER
Information from the Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
EPISODE 5 | SEASON 2 | HEALTHIER TODAY
Wake up call | Sondra Kornblatt
For Sondra Kornblatt, sleep isn’t just the last thing you do at the end of the day. Nor should it be what you take for granted. For Sondra, sleep is an essential part of our lives that need more attention than ever before. After experiencing months battling chronic insomnia with sleep drugs, teas, magnesium, and more, Sondra set out to discover a holistic approach to better sleep quality and found herself submerged in the unacknowledged science of sleep and the significance of a good night’s rest. Listen on to learn more about the importance of sleep and why sleep isn’t the same as deep rest.
- How Sondra sleeps on an average night [0:32]
- What Sondra’s sleep was like growing up [1:04]
- What inspired Sondra to pursue a career studying and understanding the power of insomnia [2:18]
- The difference between sleep and deep rest [3:37]
- The effect of a hyperactive lifestyle on sleep and rest [5:10]
- The main barriers to a restful and meaningful sleep [5:55]
- How the seven pathways to rest work [8:15]
- The global pandemic of the fundamental lack of sleep [10:01]
- The importance of sunlight and exercise in meaningful sleep [11:02]
- How a person stays asleep [12:08]
- The repercussions of not having a good sleep [13:53]
- How Sondra navigates her own inability to sleep [16:55]
- How sports can help in understanding the significance of sleep [18:45]
- The origins of sleep and how we understand sleep from utero and babies [20:25]
- The purpose that dreams serve [21:38]
- The science of re-dreaming bad dreams [23:27]
- The impact of stress on sleep and health [24:34]
- What living healthier today means for Sondra [27:14]
- What Sondra would tell her 18 year-old self [28:07]
- Sondra’s work [28:56]
CONNECT WITH SONDRA KORNBLATT
Facebook | Twitter |LinkedIn | RestfulInsomnia.com
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
Facebook | Instagram |Twitter | Blog
HEALTHIER TODAY TEAM
Host: Jared Talavera
Co-host/Voiceover artist: Yani Harris
Assistants: Taneer and Atkia Sadia
Script writer: Brian Ariotti
Audio production: Resonate Recordings.
DISCLAIMER
Information from the Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
EPISODE 4 | SEASON 2 | HEALTHIER TODAY
Addiction: an open secret | Joshua Shea
For over 20 years, Joshua Shea had one thing trailing his shadow. He was an accomplished city councilor, a publisher, and a film festival founder, but he was crippled by an alcohol and pornography addiction. Joshua never confronted his addictions until much later in life, where he truly learned of the mental and physical costs of being addicted to both alcohol and pornogrpahy. But over the years, Joshua has become a beacon of hope for all those facing addiction and stands as a symbol of progress in the mental health sphere. For Joshua, education and awareness is the number one priority in addressing the addiction epidemic and the impending crisis children and teenagers face today with internet porn. Listen on for an inspiring and eye-opening story on the reality of the porn addiction.
- When and how Joshua discovered he was addicted to pornography [0:37]
- What a pornography addiction is [2:11]
- The negative effects of porn addiction and addiction in general and the current addiction crisis in our society [3:25]
- Joshua talks about the very distinctive line between art and pornography [6:16]
- What life for Joshua was like before his addiction and how his addiction began [9:14]
- How Joshua’s alcohol addiction compared to his porn addiction [9:55]
- How women’s addiction to pornography compares to men’s addiction to pornography [11:49]
- How pornography is affecting our youth society [18:34]
- How Joshua’s journalism background has influenced or impacted his pornography addiction [20:53]
- How the developing science of addiction has evolved [22:46]
- How porn addictions can develop at an early age and the threat of impotence [28:30]
- How porn addiction takes time away from your life [30:31]
- The one thing that made Joshua finally seek professional help [31:28]
- What living healthier today means to Joshua [33:16]
- How Joshua feels about his 18 year-old self and his addiction [33:40]
- Joshua and the myths and stereotypes of porn addiction [35:22]
CONNECT WITH JOSHUA SHEA
Instagram |Twitter | LinkedIn | PAddictRecovery.com
Book: He’s a Porn Addict… Now What?
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
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HEALTHIER TODAY TEAM
Host: Jared Talavera
Co-host/Voiceover artist: Yani Harris
Assistants: Taneer and Atkia Sadia
Script writer: Brian Ariotti
Audio production: Resonate Recordings.
DISCLAIMER
Information from the Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
EPISODE 3 | SEASON 2 | HEALTHIER TODAY
Marine biology student to acclaimed author | April Dávila
When April Davila found herself pregnant, unemployed, and living in a dorm at Stanford University while her husband finished his degree, she knew she needed a life change. She was a marine biologist with extensive knowledge in marine ecology and engineering, but her true passion was writing. After college she found herself lost in a world that is equally demanding and uncompromising. Suddenly, April found herself pursuing the one thing she’s always wanted to pursue and how she’s never looked back. Her story is inspiring and her focus on mindfulness and mental health will help all those who feel lost in their lives and need clarity.
- What attracted April to marine ecology [0:41]
- What April translated from marine ecology to human relations [3:35]
- How April discovered writing would be her ultimate career choice [4:30]
- April discusses the extent of her creativity at the young age of 18 and the fulfillment of her career [7:48]
- April talks about her transition into fully embracing her writing career and her time working with the Southern California water crisis [9:32]
- What 2020 was like for April and her work with her community on mindfulness and mental health [13:42]
- April talks about making time for self-care and mental health [17:29]
- April discusses how she managed working from home [18:24]
- April talks about her new book, 142 Ostriches, becoming a first-time published author, and launching her book in the midst of an incoming pandemic [19:14]
- April talks about the importance of the intersection between mindfulness and creativity and how mindfulness really improved her writing career [27:24]
- How April discovered and began cultivating her own journey of mindfulness [29:29]
- Why mindfulness can be for everyone but can be trickier for others and the importance of the right resources [32:40]
- Technology and its relationship to the sustainability of meditation and mindfulness [38:42]
- What living healthier today means to April and what motivates her to be healthy [39:31]
- The important piece of advice April would give her 18 year-old self [42:05]
CONNECT WITH APRIL DÁVILA
Instagram |Pinterest | Twitter | AprilDavila.com
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
Facebook | Instagram |Twitter | Blog
HEALTHIER TODAY TEAM
Host: Jared Talavera
Co-host/Voiceover artist: Yani Harris
Assistants: Taneer and Atkia Sadia
Script writer: Brian Ariotti
Audio production: Resonate Recordings.
DISCLAIMER
Information from the Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
EPISODE 2 | SEASON 2 | HEALTHIER TODAY
Life after loss | Yuri Williams
Yuri Williams’s life completely changed in 2009. After losing an eight-year battle with cancer, his mother died and left perpetually lost. For Yuri, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts reigned over anything else and he found himself in a blackhole that sucked him further and further into darkness. But through channeling his inner child Yuri has found a way to engage with the community in an inspiring and humbling nature that touches and lives. With his non-profit organization, AFutureSuperHero, Yuri’s life mission is to remind those suffering that there is strength and beauty in life.
- How 2009 changed Yuri’s life [0:36]
- Yuri’s fondest memory of his mother [1:26]
- How Yuri’s mother taught him good values, how he carried that legacy into starting his own charity, and the importance of kindness [2:20]
- How children react when they perceive Yuri’s kindness, humility, and youthfulness [4:20]
- The two experiences that trademarked Yuri’s time running his charity [4:45]
- How Yuri keeps going despite the hardships of disease and suffering [5:59]
- How Yuri’s relationship with a homeless person really changed him [7:37]
- What living healthier today means to Yuri [9:06]
- How COVID impacted Yuri and those he serves [10:23]
- How Yuri’s mental health in the years after 2009 were changing and impacting the ways he felt, behaved, and healed [12:33]
- How Yuri supported his charity and worked simultaneously [14:46]
- What Yuri would do with $25 million and what he would love to accomplish with more financial independence [15:54]
- How the houseless community has influenced and impacted Yuri [17:29]
- How Yuri overcame overwhelming feelings of depression [18:06]
- The legacy that Yuri wants to leave and what he is teaching his daughter about life [18:58]
- What genuine happiness is for Yuri [22:47]
- The mentors in Yuri’s life that have helped him get to where he is now [25:04]
- The sagely advice Yuri would tell his 18-year-old self [27:56]
CONNECT WITH YURI WILLIAMS / AFUTURESUPERHERO AND FRIENDS
Facebook | Instagram |Twitter | AfutureSuperhero.com
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
Facebook | Instagram |Twitter | Blog
HEALTHIER TODAY TEAM
Host: Jared Talavera
Co-host/Voiceover artist: Yani Harris
Assistants: Taneer and Atkia Sadia
Script writer: Brian Ariotti
Audio production: Resonate Recordings.
DISCLAIMER
Information from the Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
EPISODE 1 | SEASON 2 | HEALTHER TODAY
ACCESSING THE CONTROL PANEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS | Ben Ahrens
At 25, Ben Ahrens was the living emblem of fitness and health. As a surfer and young athlete, Ben had a deep fondness of sharing and cultivating a community centered around health and fitness. However, when he was diagnosed with Lyme disease everything changed. Suddenly, his life was upended by chronic fatigue and completely lost his health. In the years since, Ben has developed a mechanism to awaken the brain’s natural healing property that has led him to a life full of health, recovery, and consciousness. For him, everything starts with a single breath. Listen on to hear Ben’s inspiring story and the science of the power of the mind.
TIME STAMPS
- How Ben’s life went from active health and fitness to a life-threatening disease diagnosis [0:50]
- How a single deep breath began to change Ben’s life and improve his health [2:11]
- What the one single breath slowly progresses into [3:40]
- Steve’s experience changing his stress response through stretching and breathing [6:33]
- How the experience of life starts and ends in your brain [6:57]
- How changing our thoughts can affect our bodies [8: 30]
- Ben’s experience witnessing the power of deep breath in other people [10:09]
- The power of surfing in promoting health, wellness, and the body’s natural healing process [12:50]
- How Ben is striving to retrain the brain to maintain a state of regeneration [15:30]
- The importance of the flow state and being in the moment [16:35]
- Ben discusses his techniques to achieve and maintain his own flow-state and changing one’s emotional, mental, physical, and behavioral response [19:06]
- How stress, fear, anxiety, and a constant state of fight-or-flight can affect one’s working memory and healing process [24:02]
- What the future of healthcare looks like [28:40]
- Does more technology make people anxious? [31:51]
- Ben’s life-changing experience sleeping in the wild and how it changed his life [34:03]
- How Ben navigated the ups and downs of 2020 and his advice to giving space and limits to areas in your life [36:43]
- What living healthy today mean to Ben [40:21]
- The special advice Ben would give his 18 year-old self [43:34]
CONNECT WITH BEN AHRENS
Facebook | Instagram |LinkedIn
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
Facebook | Instagram |Twitter | Blog
HEALTHIER TODAY TEAM
Host: Jared Talavera
Co-host/Voiceover artist: Yani Harris
Assistants: Taneer and Atkia Sadia
Script writer: Brian Ariotti
Audio production: Resonate Recordings.
DISCLAIMER
Information from the Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only. Please speak to a health professional for specific individual health advice.
We know that all of us could benefit from more self-care. That's why the Healthier Today podcast is back with daily episodes!
Host Jared Talavera, advisor, and self-care advocate has assembled nearly a dozen interviews this season. The list of guests ranges from business owners, non-profit executives, and thought-leaders - all of whom are committed to advocating for the most vulnerable, bringing mindfulness to the masses, and investigating the health benefits of rest. All with one mission - to show us how to live happier and healthier.
Each guest shares their unique perspective on everything from the body's healing powers to thriving in the face of PTSD. Their stories are not limited to overcoming adversity but cultivating a positive character by focusing on mental, physical, and spiritual health.
Season One of the podcast launched in the backdrop of Covid-19. We were at the height of unprecedented times. Since our first show aired, we knew we had to advocate for mental health and self-care in an approachable style. We wanted to make this information available and accessible to everyone.
Last season we found inspiration to become physically fit through the story of Amie Behave, who not only recovered from brain surgery but built back better- and became stronger mentally and physically. We also learned about the healing power of water with Hans Hagen, Executive Director of Mauli Ola, a non-profit dedicated to helping patients with cystic fibrosis. Despite the 24-hour news cycle and notifications from social media that made us all uneasy at times, we found solutions to ease the overwhelm with Kim Cavallo. Her app, lilspace, makes it possible to recharge emotionally by disconnecting. Our canine friends kept countless individuals company, relieving loneliness and isolation through closures and lockdowns. We learned about the remarkable power of Man's best friend through Zach Skow, who teaches prison inmates about vulnerability and trust through his dog training program.
Welcome back to the Healthier Today Podcast. Join us on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, with Australian Voiceover artist Yani Harris and subscribe to be alerted when new episodes air.
Information from the Healthier Today podcast is for informational purposes only.
CONNECT WITH JARED TALAVERA
Blog
SHOW CREDITS
Host: Jared Talavera
Co-host / VoiceOver artist: Yani Harris
Assistants: Taneer and Atkia Sadia
Script writer: Brian Arrioto
Produced by Resonate Recordings.
Professor Claire Wakefield leads one of Australia's largest psycho-oncology research groups that is working towards improving the quality of life of families with children who have been diagnosed with cancer. For many people, hearing that their child is being diagnosed with cancer is their worst nightmare. Prof Wakefield is head of the behavioural sciences unit for the Kids Cancer Centre at the Sydney Children's Hospital.
She explains, “nobody wants to hear the words your child has cancer.”
Across the globe, over 300,000 children will be diagnosed with cancer each year. Cancer is second only to motor vehicle accidents for the leading cause of child deaths. These figures are undoubtedly shocking and upsetting, as it can be hard to comprehend a child going through such agony and emotional turmoil.
Unfortunately, it is not only the child patient who feels the effect of a cancer diagnosis.
As Wakefield states, 'it’s the beginning of a really long journey, not just for the child but also for the parents, brothers and sisters'.
It is not just a patient who feels trauma from a cancer diagnosis, as their close family also feel psychological distress.
Wakefield identified the negative effects cancer can have on a family unit and brought together a research group of psycho-oncologists, to help families 'traverse the really scary, difficult time that is cancer treatment.' She explains, 'we're a growing group of researchers all working towards improving outcomes for families with kids with cancer.'
Wakefield draws on both her psychology and oncology expertise to help families feel emotionally and physically in control when faced with a cancer diagnosis. Her team focus on bringing a sense of control back to families as when asked how parents feel when their child has been diagnosed with cancer.
Through her research, Wakefield has found evidence that suggests, 'without support, both patients, parents and brothers and sisters can develop anxiety, depression and PTSD' relating to a cancer diagnosis. She further explains that, 'our work tries to prevent those outcomes.’ Tweet: Families are surprised about just how much strength they have. —Prof Claire Wakefield, psycho-oncologist
The link between cancer and depression, and other mood-altering disorders, is undeniably strong. Wakefield's work is focused on helping families to function as normally and happily as possible whilst dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
I asked Prof Wakefield how she handles working in child cancer researcher.
'It's certainly not always easy, the work that we do, but I never ever question that it’s not worthwhile,' says Prof Wakefield.
While we can’t change the cards we have been dealt in life, we can use what we already have and further nourish that to live a meaningful, purposeful and impactful life.
Spread the love by sharing this article with your significant other, a friend, colleague, or family member who you think would find enormous value from this as well.
Follow Claire Wakefield and the Behavioural Sciences Unit on social media:
Website
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Zach Skow developed a drug and alcohol dependency problem that lasted from his teens to 20s. By the time he was 28, doctors told him he had end-stage liver disease. His dogs gave him the will to live and fight for a better a life. Today, Zach is the founder of Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue—a nonprofit that gives second chances to both humans and canines.
Follow Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue on social media:
Website
You can connect with Jared Talavera on Facebook Instagram and Twitter.
During a yoga class in Los Angeles she noticed that she was being distracted messaging on her phone. “It was really disturbing to me because it was this tiny little device that was really pulling me away from what really mattered to me,” says Kim during an interview on the Healthier Today podcast. After that disturbing realisation, Kim searched for an app that would let her friends and colleagues know when she needed a break from her phone. Her search, however, gave her few options. Rather than admitting defeat, she recalls, “I thought, well, I think if I had some kind of out of office reply by text or phone, that would give me the peace of mind to be able to focus in a yoga class.” The result was lilspace—an app that helps you be more intentional with your phone use.
Learn more about lilspace on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and on http://www.getlilspace.com.
You can connect with Jared Talavera on Facebook Instagram, Twitter and www.jaredtalavera.com.
‘Mauli Ola’ is Hawaiian for ‘Breath of Life’ and there is no more fitting name for a foundation whose motto is ‘May the wave heal us all’. Hans Hagen is one of the advocates and executive directors for the Mauli Ola Foundation—a non-profit using the power of surfing and the ocean to help young patients with cystic fibrosis breathe a little easier. Listen to Hans share some incredible stories and life lessons in this episode.
Spread the love by sharing this episode with your significant other, a friend, colleague, or family member who you think would find enormous value from this as well.
Follow Mauli Ola Foundation on social media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Website
You can connect with Jared Talavera on Facebook Instagram and Twitter.
In today’s episode we have Dr Guy Leschziner. He is a British sleep physician and neurology consultant. Dr Leschizner is the clinical lead for one of Europe’s largest sleep units—the Sleep Disorders Centre in the UK. His latest book is The Nocturnal Brain. It follows the stories of individuals with various sleep disorders and their journey to getting a diagnosis and treatment. Connect with Guy on Twitter (@guy_lesch). Connect with Jared Talavera on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jaredtalavera), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jaredtalavera) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/jayredt). Read the full blog post at www.jaredtalavera.com.
In today’s episode we have Amie Behave. She is a weightlifter from England who was born with the rare condition brain arteriovenous malformation or AVM for short. Amie reflects on how her journey to getting better helped her find the motivation to care for her own health and those of others. Connect with Amie on Instagram (http://instagram.com/amiebehave) and Facebook (http://facebook.com/amiebehave). Connect with Jared Talavera on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jaredtalavera), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jaredtalavera) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/jayredt). Read the full blog post at www.jaredtalavera.com
Welcome to season 1. The guests in season 1 have done incredible things in their life from overcoming serious health conditions to researchers and app designers who are changing the way we think about technology to enhance our own wellbeing. Happy listening! 😊 Be sure to leave a rating and subscribe. www.jaredtalavera.com. Connect with Jared Talavera on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jaredtalavera), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jaredtalavera) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/jayredt).