What’s the Juice?

S3E26. HOW TO EMBRACE OUR GRIEF TO ACCESS JOY — Dr. Neeta Bhushan on the importance of emotional resilience through life's relentless hardships

In this next episode of What’s the Juice, I had the opportunity to chat with the amazing Dr. Neeta Bhushan — former cosmetic dentist turned mental health coach, social entrepreneur, international speaker, and best-selling author behind the new book That Sucked. Now What? Before you tune in, I’ll let you know this — Neeta’s life has not been an easy one. She lost three immediate family members within the span of just three years, completely altering her life’s trajectory. Neeta later found herself stuck in an incredibly toxic marriage, resulting in a major wake-up call and healing journey that would redefine her life as she knew it. Our conversation is jam-packed with essential nuggets of information, like how imperative it is to find joy wherever you can, and a brief introduction to what’s known as the “Bounce Factor,” a four-step tool to determine your resiliency:

Examining your upbringing.
Leaning into “good” stress and doing what challenges/scares you.
Emotional capacity — i.e. your ability to “feel the feels.”
Radical self-awareness — i.e. your ability to tune into your life and see what’s going well or not going well.

Press play now and let me know what you think via IG:

Connect with Neeta Bhushan:
IG: instagram.com/neetabhushan
Website: neetabhushan.com
Book: neetabhushan.com/pre-order

S3ES25. NEURONS THAT FIRE TOGETHER WIRE TOGETHER — Neurophysiologist & coach Louisa Nicola on rewiring your brain to achieve peak physical & mental performance

In this episode of What’s the Juice, I had the honor of chatting with brain-genius Louisa Nicola, Founder & Director of Neuro Athletics: a data-driven neuroscience company that provides athletes with scientific strategies to achieve peak performance. Tune in as we delve into the nitty gritty science of how the brain works, and what you can do specifically from home to optimize neuroplasticity and cognition, including:

SLEEP
Minimum 8 hours each night, following the 80% rule
Natural sunlight as soon as you wake up, for at least 5 minutes
Avoiding and/or dimming artificial light come evening
Pitch-black environment for optimal sleep

AEROBIC EXERCISE
Zone 2 Training — achieve about 65% of your maximum heart rate
For example: Walk an incline of ~8-10 around a speed of 3.8 mph for around 30 minutes

ANAEROBIC EXERCISE
Focus on 70% of your 1-repetition max (find the maximum weight you can handle for 1 rep, then use 70% of that weight for at least 6 sets/4 reps each)
Learn how to squat well and focus on compound movements
Invest in a trainer over supplements

STRESS
Inhale twice, then exhale (this mimics crying/hyperventilation)
Infrared light to reduce neural inflammation
Ice baths to create new mitochondria
Two grams of both EPA and DHA daily

Connect with Louisa:
Website: neuroathletics.com.au
IG: @louisanicola_

S3E24. GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH DEATH — Death Doula Caroline Lee dives into the uncomfortable conversation around death and how we can ease the process for us and others

This next episode is an incredibly interesting conversation that covers one of life’s most uncomfortable and danced-around topics: death. And who better to chat with than death doula Caroline Lee? As a death doula, Caroline offers support to those navigating diagnoses, those coping with the prospect of death and/or someone who has passed, and even those who are young and proactively creating an end-of-life plan. Listen in as we discuss what steps you can take to prepare yourself and your family, including:

Writing your wishes
Designating a ‘Payable on Death’ on your bank account
Sharing/receiving account passwords
Coping with grief and/or prospect of death via psychedelic assisted therapy, death meditations, and more

Press play now for helpful insights and, as always, let me know what you think!

S3E23. THE DOCTOR THAT CHANGED MY LIFE - why muscle is medicine for preventing cognitive decline and insulin resistance & the science behind eating more protein with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

This is THE most important conversation I may ever share on this podcast, and it’s been years in the making. We’ve recorded, scrapped, and re-scheduled this interview several times, and I think it’s no coincidence that the timing worked out this way when I finally, myself, GOT the message from our guest and started putting her advice into practice in real life… so that I could be an example and testament to what she’s teaching today. Have you heard that doctors receive less than 20 hours of nutrition training in total during medical school in the US? Today’s guest, who has been my doctor for the last almost 6 years – is a physician with a passion for nutritional science that defies this statistic and has dedicated her life to helping ALL of us understand the importance of (and dispel the myths around) nutrition and more specifically, dietary protein. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon began her path by studying nutritional science, and then decided she wanted to go above and beyond food alone, keeping the principles with her but deepening her training to a point where she could care for patients on any and every level. After going through medical school, she completed 2 years of training in psychiatry and 3 years of family medicine. She eventually became board certified, and continued her education yet again with a post-doc in nutritional sciences, geriatrics, and obesity medicine. Today she practices what she has coined “muscle-centric medicine”. She is committed to shifting our paradigm of healing chronic disease and optimizing human health from the obesity paradigm to the muscle paradigm, and she is going to explain to us today why muscle is about SO much more than fitness or looking good in a bikini. And, why it’s not just for fitness enthusiasts alone — it’s important for us to start building RIGHT HERE AND NOW at ANY AGE to begin reversing chronic disease processes. She’s going to cover:

– How muscle improves metabolic markers relevant to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and PCOS – because skeletal muscle is our primary site for disposing of the glucose aka carbohydrates we eat in our diets (and if we don’t have muscle, there’s nowhere for it to go!)

– How this ties into the picture of preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s, which is often called “type 3 diabetes of the brain”

– Why Alzheimer’s starts 20+ years before it actually presents and is a disease of mid-life, not old age (plus what to do now in your 20s, 30s and 40s)

– Why muscle is an endocrine organ that just as important as your thyroid, and produces biochemistry-altering compounds just like the thyroid produces hormones!

– How muscle is essentially alive, and is a nutrient-sensing organ – it quite literally senses the amino acids we consume via diet, and how this sensitivity decreases as we age

– What protein threshold per meal you need to build muscle

– The difference between plant and animal protein in terms of amino acid quality

– Why leucine is the most important amino acid and why we need more as we age

– How much protein you should be eating based on your body weight

– How hormone changes and menopauses affect this picture

– Why body composition matters and how excess adipose tissue affects the brain

– And EXACTLY what you can start doing TODAY to become healthier, sharper, and hormonally optimized as you age. I always tell Dr. Lyon that she quite literally saved my life; the fact that I was able to receive this information NOW has allowed me to have a much better chance in my future when it comes to the Alzheimer’s disease that runs in my family. She got me to see that I CAN go to the gym even if that felt scary at first, I CAN build muscle, and that it IS my best shot at a healthy brain as I age, putting the power back in my — and now your — hands.

S3E22. HOW TO REVERSE YOUR (BIOLOGICAL) AGE — using “epigenetics”, food & herbs to change your genes and live longer with Dr. Kara Fitzgerald

This season of the podcast, I’ve been working to define vitality and well-being through a framework I call the “10 Pillars of Health.” While many health experts boast a profound sense of knowledge in one or two pillars specifically, my next guest — the acclaimed Dr. Kara Fitzgerald — is incredibly well-versed in all 10.

In fact, Dr. Fitzgerald’s latest book, “Younger You: Reduce Your Bio Age and Live Longer, Better,” explores the science behind longevity and her discovery of a three-year reversal of biological aging, so you know I had to get the deets. In this revelatory conversation, we cover how the following can actually hack your epigenome:

Methyl-donor nutrients (found in whole foods like beets, eggs, leafy greens, mushrooms, seeds, etc.)
Methylation adaptogens (quercetin, circumin, resveratrol, green tea, etc.)
Exercise
Sleep
Oxytocin release

And more. As always, tune into the episode to dive deeper into these essential nuggets of information. And be sure to share your thoughts with me on IG: @shoporganicolivia.

Connect with Dr. Fitzgerald:
Website: drkarafitzgerald.com
Book: youngeryouprogram.com/book
IG: instagram.com/drkarafitzgerald

S3E21. BREAKING UP WITH CAFFEINE — why I decided to experiment, my journey with withdrawal & the benefits of life without coffee

THIS WEEK ON WHAT’S THE JUICE PODCAST

This week on What’s the Juice Podcast, I’m diving into why I ultimately decided to give up caffeine, how it impacts your mind and body (particularly from a Traditional Chinese Medicine standpoint), and how my life has been without it thus far. It hasn’t been the easiest journey, but it has truly allowed me to live my greatest, juiciest life. Listen in and discover the benefits of cutting it out, like better sleep and higher libido (the list goes on), how I was able to counter the withdrawal effects with minerals, vitamins, protein, and more, plus where I’m at now. Spoiler alert: I feel the best I’ve ever felt.

S3E20. YOUR BRAIN DETERMINES YOUR HORMONES (not your ovaries alone) - why nervous system regulation and our identities are key for physical health w/ Zesty Ginger

In this episode I’m sitting down with Megan Blacksmith and Dr. Alex Golden, the force behind Zesty Ginger, to talk about the power of the subconsciousness and how brain chemistry is a deciding factor for everything in your daily life. After individually dealing with chronic hormonal imbalances, the duo developed what’s known as the Four Phase Cycle Approach to help women regain control over their health. In this episode, we had the opportunity to discuss an array of incredible topics, including everything from the irrefutable mind-body connection to seven practical steps you can take to “heal,” whatever that means to you.

To quote Dr. Alex “you cannot exist in a fragmented place” — meaning, you have to account for your complete health while trying to achieve your goal, whether that’s losing weight or regulating your cycle. This is where the “Four Bodies” come in: Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual. In order to reach total fulfillment where happiness and wellness merge, you must nurture the mind-body connection. Simply put, you could take the most amazing supplements in the world, but if you’re not nourishing your mental health, the effort is futile.

It goes without saying this process takes time. Lucky enough, Dr. Alex and Megan have created a 12-week online Health Transformation Accelerator that teaches you the exact process they use to get the most out of not only health, but life.

As always, tune into the podcast for all of the juicy goodness, and be sure to share your thoughts with me on IG: @shoporganicolivia. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Xoxo,
Olivia

S3E19. THE 4 "IMMUNE TYPES" + HOW TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM - Dr. Heather Moday, MD on optimizing immune function and lowering chronic inflammation

In this week’s episode, I had the utmost honor of chatting with Dr. Heather Moday about the complexity of the immune system and how we can help it function at its highest potential. Dr. Heather Moday is an acclaimed immunologist and functional medicine practitioner who has spent the last 25 years helping people like us take control of our lives by optimizing nutrition, lowering stress, and improving vitality. Turns out there are several tangible tools that we can implement into our daily lives to find balance. As you tune into the episode, I’ve created a simple outline for you to reference along the way.

We cover:
Testing for inflammation
Fasting glucose levels
C-reactive protein (which is more specific for inflammation)
Ferritin level (increases with inflammation)
Homocysteine levels
The four different types of immune functionality and how to find homeostasis in the body for each
Gut health and the immune system
Non-negotiable foods, vitamins, and minerals for proper immune function
And so much more!

As always, tune into the episode to learn all of these essential nuggets of information. And be sure to share your thoughts with me on IG: @shoporganicolivia.

Connect with Dr. Heather Moday:
Follow @theimmunitymd on IG
Website: https://modaycenter.com/

S3E18. ARE YOU MAL-ILLUMINATED? - using light as a tool for healing, what a lack of full-spectrum UV can do + how red light therapy can help with BioLight Founder Dr. Mike Belkowski

Did you know you might be mal-illuminated? If you’re not getting enough exposure to full-spectrum UV light (aka soaking up some sun), your cells might not be working as well as they should. Here to *enlighten* us about how our bodies use UV light and how red light therapy can be beneficial is physical therapist and founder/CEO of BioLight, Dr. Mike Belkowski.

We’ll go over how red light and infrared light therapy works, some of the things it can be used for, and why we all probably need to get outside more. Let’s get juicy!

PS – Thanks to Dr. Mike, I started using a travel-sized red light device from his line called the Shine. I became a believer when my digestion was off the day we filmed this podcast, and he told me to put it directly on my stomach for 10 minutes and see if I felt a difference. Not only did my stomach ache get better – my mind felt calmer too, which he explained is because red light therapy works on the gut-brain axis. I’ve truly loved this device ever since and keep it next to my bed in case I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep (a few minutes on my forehead or stomach works like a charm to calm my mind down). I’ve also used it for headaches and a mood boost in the winter months!

If you feel inspired after hearing about red light and want to try the same device I use, BioLight extended code ORGANICOLIVIA (all caps) for a discount on any of their products.

Shop with code ORGANICOLIVIA: https://www.biolight.shop/?ref=oliviaamitrano