Naturally Savvy

Learn how to prioritize daily tasks into red (critical), yellow (moderate) and green (light)."Busy" seems to be the word of the day. But, even if people say they like being busy, it may be contributing to unhealthy stress levels. Dr. Darria Long Gillespie experienced a crazy-busy schedule while going through residency training. After developing a serious health issue, she realized she had to change something. She joins host Lisa Davis to discuss how you can triage your life -- prioritize daily tasks into red (critical), yellow (moderate) and green (light).  Listen in to learn key tips to end the crazy-busy in your life.

How to remain resilient during these challenging times.This is a stressful time for all of us, filled with fear, anxiety, uncertainty and worry as our world turns upside down. But Myra believes, as humans, we are resilient. Myra Giberovitch is an educator, social worker, consultant, author and professional speaker. She is an adjunct professor at the McGill University School of Social and author of "Recovering from Genocidal Trauma." Growing up Myra's mother used to say, “In life we never know what lies ahead. What’s important is to adapt to circumstances you can’t change, no matter how difficult.” She made everyday choices to control her environment. One of them was choosing to have a positive attitude and taking action when responding to situations. She persevered and never gave up. Myra is filled with hope and positive regard for her fellow human beings. She chooses to focus on our common humanity, resilience, and kindness and all the goodness that is out there. Listen to this podcast to be inspired and to learn different tips we can use to remain positive during these challenging times .

Are we simply passive participants in our own aging fate?We tend to accept aging as an inevitable journey upon we all must trek. Are we too comfortable with that concept? Are we simply passive participants in our own aging fate? According to Suzanne Somers, absolutely not. In her book, A New Way to Age: The Most Cutting-Edge Advances in Antiaging, Suzanne discusses a new way to grow older--with vibrancy, freedom, confidence, and a healthy libido. Listen as Suzanne joins Andrea and Lisa to share insights from the book and why aging can be a fantastic process if you approach it wisely.

Dialogue is often lacking around perimenopause and menopause. Naturally Savvy hosts Andrea and Lisa want to expand the conversation.Perimenopause and menopause are inevitable in a woman's life. Unfortunately, dialogue is often lacking around this life-changing time. Women may not know what to expect -- or feel like they're on a roller-coaster of symptoms they simply cannot get under control. Naturally Savvy hosts Andrea and Lisa want to expand that dialogue. In this episode they come together to discuss their own experiences, how they addressed their symptoms, and why this time in a women's life needs more understanding. Listen in to join in this very important conversation. Some facts... Perimenopause can begin as early as one's 30s but typically occurs in the mid- to late 40s.  Symptoms may include: Hot flashes Breast tenderness Worse premenstrual syndrome Lower sex drive Fatigue Irregular periods Vaginal dryness; discomfort during sex Urine leakage when coughing or sneezing Urinary urgency Mood swings Trouble sleeping Once a woman goes a full 12 months without a menstrual period, she has entered menopause. Some of the same symptoms of perimenopause may persist.

The symptoms of celiac disease can be wide and varied, which makes it such a difficult disease to properly diagnose and treat.Welcome to our new series, "Throw Back Thursday: Celebrity Edition" (or TBTCE). In the following weeks, we'll be featuring various celebrity interviews from over the years. Hope you enjoy! TBTCE: Jennifer Esposito The symptoms of celiac disease can be wide and varied, which makes it such a difficult disease to properly diagnose and treat. And, unfortunately, may doctors are still not taking the disease seriously, or not educated in what to look out for or how to address the problem. As unbelievable as it is, some doctors still treating it as a "fad." As you can imagine, this puts individuals suffering from the disease in a terrible place. So, what can you do if you suspect you have celiac but your doctor refuses to listen to you? First and foremost, change doctors. You also need to go in to any appointments educated... if you don't know the right questions to ask, it's more likely that your doctor will brush off your symptoms. Keep pushing until you find someone who will listen. Also, know this: simply cutting out gluten will not "cure" you. There may have been years of damage, and eliminating gluten will not magically make you all better. Celiac is an autoimmune disease, after all... your body will continue to attack itself unless you attack the disease with a holistic approach. In this segment, actress Jennifer Esposito shares her struggle with celiac, as well as ways you can make sure you have a voice in your diagnosis and treatment.

Lisa M. Schab, LCSW, discusses dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), an offshoot of cognitive behavioral therapy that targets emotional regulation and distress tolerance.A follow up to "Put Your Worries Here" -- the first journal in The Instant Help Guided Journals for Teens series -- "Put Your Feelings Here" focuses on reducing and managing debilitating emotions such as fear, frustration, stress, and sadness. Unlike most journals designed for teens, Lisa M. Schab, LCSW, uses dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), an offshoot of cognitive behavioral therapy that targets emotional regulation and distress tolerance. With prompts that guide teens to finding fragrances they love, planning the ultimate party, and giving loved ones advice, teens will learn to stay calm, reduce intense emotions, and enter a state of mindfulness that they can use well beyond their teen years. Listen as Schab joins host Lisa Davis to share more about DBT and how people of any age can use the technique to manage their feelings.

On a roller-coaster ride of emotions? Perhaps feeling bitchy and cranky and fatigued more often than you should?Welcome to our new series, "Throw Back Thursday: Celebrity Edition" (or TBTCE). In the following weeks, we'll be featuring various celebrity interviews from over the years. Hope you enjoy! TBTCE: Suzanne Somers Are you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions? Perhaps feeling bitchy, cranky and fatigued more often than you should? This could be perimenopause. Perimenopause occur in the years prior to menopause when your hormones are kissing you good-bye. This often can happen to a woman in her 30's and 40's. One of America's most beloved personalities, Suzanne Somers, joins Andrea and Lisa to once again tell it like it is. Suzanne hopes to help you improve your health and possibly even your relationships by explaining how you can be proactive when you start to experience hormonal shifts that can wreak havoc on your life. Learn why you may be feeling so irritable, the importance of balancing your hormones, and more. Plus, check out Suzanne's newest book, I'm Too Young for This!

Liz Weiss, MS, RDN, discusses simple ways to reduce your kitchen carbon footprint.Many people are interested in becoming more eco-friendly but aren't quite sure which steps to take. Composting is a popular option for reducing your carbon footprint. When biodegradable items (banana peel, half-eaten apple, etc.) are sent to a landfill, they will break down but they still emit greenhouse gases. If you're not comfortable setting up a compost station yourself, there are often community options that will pick up your biodegradable scraps and perform the composting for you.  Liz Weiss, MS, RDN, joins host Lisa Davis to discuss simple ways to reduce your kitchen carbon footprint, as well as share some of her favorite recipes that contribute to a more eco-friendly existence. She also provides some statistics on how much food is wasted each year.

"If I can make my health better, YOU can make your health better." -Carol AltWelcome to our new series, "Throw Back Thursday: Celebrity Edition" (or TBTCE). In the following weeks, we'll be featuring various celebrity interviews from over the years. Hope you enjoy! TBTCE: Carol Alt Carol Alt hosts a show on FOX News called A Healthy You, and since she started with the show, she's gotten emails, letters and calls saying that so much of the time her viewers either miss some of the information she's presenting or they don't have time to really pay close attention. That's what inspired her to write her new book, also called A Healthy You. The book compiles the "best of the best" advice from both doctors, experts and Carol herself in terms of nutrition, exercise, anti-aging... things that Carol knows work, because they've worked for her. She firmly believes, "If I can make my health better, YOU can make your health better." The book also helps you weed through the false claims and promises of many of the so-called "experts" out there.  There's never a better time to start than now, no matter what age you are. Even if you're young, in your 20s or early 30s, you can be proactive instead of reactive when those wrinkles start showing up or you feel lethargic and tired all the time. Listen in as Carol joins Andrea and Lisa to share more about her book, why she was inspired to write it, and why it's SO important to take your health seriously.

Dietitian and health coach Jessica Cording shares her simple, no-nonsense advice to help individuals improve eating habits, sleep, energy levels, mentality, and exercise routines.When you're already burdened by the stresses of daily life (and the anxiety that often results), it can be overwhelming to even think about making a positive life change. There are plenty of "self help" type resources that claim to work, but oftentimes those plans require even more time -- which results in more stress! Dietitian and health coach Jessica Cording has come up with simple, no-nonsense advice to help individuals improve eating habits, sleep, energy levels, mentality, and exercise routines. Listen as Jessica joins host Lisa Davis to share her "game changers" and explain why making healthy choices doesn't have to be so difficult.

If your body isn't getting the right "fuel," it can't function at peak levels.Welcome to our new series, "Throw Back Thursday: Celebrity Edition" (or TBTCE). In the following weeks, we'll be featuring various celebrity interviews from over the years. Hope you enjoy! TBTCE: Kelly LeBrock For so long the mantra was, "fat will make you fat!" The attitude on fats has been changing steadily over the last few years, especially in regards to healthy fats.  According to model-turned-health advocate, Kelly LeBrock, "When I eat good fats, I'm thinner than when I don't... and anyone who has a nutritionist that says that low-fat, no-fat skim milk is good, I would run for the hills because they are being given the wrong information." It may seem like a bold statement, but the growing library of research on the benefits of fats in your diet backs it up. If your body isn't getting the right "fuel," it can't function at peak levels. Fats can also be medicinal. Thai people have been using fatty, gelatinous broth for centuries to cure disease; specifically digestive issues like colitis, hyper-acidity, and Crohn's disease. The thing is, it's not that difficult to introduce these good fats to your diet. From coconut oil and coconut manna to raw butter and avocado, there are countless ways to start getting more fats into your system. Tune in as Kelly joins Lisa to share some more good fats that you should be eating, as well as simple ways you can start incorporating them into your diet every day. PLUS, get a step-by-step recipe for Kelly's famous avocado chocolate mousse.

Investigative health journalist Judy Foreman suggests that the key element to extending a healthy lifespan is exercise.The first thought many people have in regards to exercise is that it's a means to an end in terms of weight loss.  But, moving your body has a much greater impact on your health as a whole. In fact, it may be the key to slowing the aging process.  Investigative health journalist Judy Foreman suggests that the key element to extending a healthy lifespan is exercise, through its myriad effects on dozens of molecules in the brain, the muscles, and other organs. She explains all of this in her book, Exercise Is Medicine: How Physical Activity Boosts Health and Slows Aging. After all her research, Foreman's resounding conclusion is that exercise itself is by far the most effective, and safest, strategy for promoting a long, healthy life. Listen as Foreman joins host Lisa Davis to share insights from the book and how you can actively contribute to your own longevity.

As epic as traumatic life events are, they are part of the human experience.Welcome to our new series, "Throw Back Thursday: Celebrity Edition" (or TBTCE). In the following weeks, we'll be featuring various celebrity interviews from over the years. Hope you enjoy! TBTCE: Marianne Williamson No one can expect to come out of trauma or tragedy the same person they were before the events happened. You've stared into the abyss, and there's really no turning back. As epic as these events are, they are part of the human experience. If you don't learn how to navigate traumatic events, you won't be able to navigate life.  There's nothing dysfunctional about crying when you're sad or in pain. You need to give yourself the permission to mourn and process. Death used to be less peripheral to people's lives. Now, we keep it at bay. Life has seasons, one of them being death, another being loss. You can't say "I don't want winter anymore." Life transitions will happen. It's how you react to and embrace those transitions that will determine the direction in which your life turns. Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed spiritual author and lecturer. She joins Andrea and Lisa to discuss her newest book, Tears to Triumph: The Spiritual Journey From Suffering To Enlightenment.

Financial difficulties can also lead to poor mental and physical health -- especially if you're working hours upon hours to pay the bills and still only "just getting by."For many people, the thought of being financially independent is mythical. As a society, we are burdened by debt. Financial difficulties can also lead to poor mental and physical health -- especially if you're working hours upon hours to pay the bills and still only "just getting by." There can be a way out. In her book, Holistic Wealth: 32 Life Lessons to Help You Find Purpose, Prosperity, and Happiness, Keisha Blair shares how to find prosperity in key aspects of life, from financial stability and physical health to your emotional and spiritual connections with others. Listen as Keisha joins host Lisa Davis to discuss how you can find balance and success in all areas of life, and finally get on the path to serenity.

Carol Alt is one of the most renowned Supermodels in history, but she didn't start her career thinking she would end up with that sort of title.Welcome to our new series, "Throw Back Thursday: Celebrity Edition" (or TBTCE). In the following weeks, we'll be featuring various celebrity interviews from over the years. Hope you enjoy! TBTCE: Carol Alt Carol Alt is one of the most renowned Supermodels in history, but she didn't start her career thinking she would end up with that sort of title. Carol was studying law at Hofstra University, working as a waitress and even had completed Army ROTC. She only started modeling at 18 as a "summer job," after being encouraged by a photographer who came into the restaurant where she worked. Never in a million years did she imagine where it would lead; not just in terms of her work as a model, but also in her pioneering efforts in the raw food movement. Back when Carol started modeling, nobody thought about healthy eating and proper nutrition. She ate what her mother made, most of which was not healthy at all by today's standards. But she also had to maintain the figure of a model. Carol fully admits that if she had discovered raw food eating earlier, she may have had a very different career because she was always hungry and tired. All she could manage was go to work and get home. And, not only did her nutrition suffer, but Carol's health was never truly in check. She suffered from colds and flu, sinus infections, heartburn and lowered immunity. When she found raw foods, all that went away and she discovered a way of eating that provided her with vitality, energy and youthfulness. In this segment (part one of two), Carol joins Andrea to share how she got started with her modeling career, as well as how she has become such a proponent of the raw food movement.