Podcasts about crohn

Are you exhausted from trying to be everything to everyone—and still feeling like it's not enough? In this episode of Adulting With Autism, host April talks with Ruth Hirshberg, former social worker and creator of Grounding with Ruth, about the real root cause behind chronic burnout and people-pleasing: core beliefs about worth. Ruth shares how a Crohn's disease diagnosis forced her to face the truth she'd been avoiding—you can't perform your way to peace. Together, we unpack why "just set boundaries" and "just do self-care" often fails, especially for high achievers, perfectionists, and neurodivergent adults who learned early that being useful was the safest way to belong. Ruth brings an honest, no-fluff approach—calling out toxic positivity and wellness-industry nonsense—and offers practical tools rooted in social work, breathwork, and meditation to build internal safety and sustainable self-worth. In this episode, we cover: What people-pleasing actually is (and why it's not just "being nice") Why boundaries don't stick if you don't believe you're allowed to have needs The hidden beliefs that keep high-achievers trapped in burnout Self-worth vs. productivity: separating value from output Nervous system regulation that doesn't cost money (breathwork you can do anywhere) Meditation for exhausted or traumatized people (starting small, safely, and realistically) Toxic positivity and why "good vibes only" makes healing harder Community as a tool for healing shame and isolation Connect with Ruth Hirshberg: Website: https://groundingwithruth.com Instagram/Facebook: @groundingwithruth Facebook Group: The Enough Project Podcast: Inspired Questions (interviews + guided meditations)

In episode 70, Alex and Karly introduce the pod to Jaclyn!Jaclyn Andersen is a late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD author who uses her work to articulate lived neurodivergent experiences with honesty and clarity. By sharing her own story, she advocates for the broader community and helps others find language for what they've lived but never been able to express. Through poetry, writing, and content creation, she brings visibility to the nuances of neurodivergent life. She is also a bodybuilder living with Crohn's disease and has found a passion in inspiring others through openly sharing her struggles and her journey.In this episode, Jaclyn shares honestly about her neurodivergent experiences, being an author and special interests!Thanks for listening

Chris Bledsoe is a UFO experiencer, author, and speaker whose 2007 encounter at the Cape Fear River became one of the most scrutinized contact cases in modern history. He reports that the experience cured a years-long battle with Crohn's disease and triggered a profound spiritual awakening that continues to this day.Since then, defense, intelligence, and military branches have investigated his claims. The CIA, NASA, and the Vatican have all shown direct interest in his case.Bledsoe reports ongoing phenomena at his home, speaks at events worldwide, and published his memoir UFO of God in 2023. Thousands of witnesses have observed orbs in his presence. He continues to be studied by researchers and scientists who cannot explain what they find.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYzXPxktcuM

The New York Times bestselling author of Fiber Fueled offers an empowering new program to reclaim your health, fight inflammation, and supercharge your immune system by healing your gut. We've all heard inflammation is harmful, but what exactly is it, why does it happen, and how can we truly heal it? The answers, it turns out, lie deep within your gut.  Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is an award winning gastroenterologist and internationally renowned gut health expert on a mission to improve the gut health of millions. During years of seeing patients, he noticed an undeniable trend: chronic inflammation was on the rise and behind a staggering array of health issues. This includes digestive conditions like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. But there was so much more – allergies, autoimmune diseases, headaches, depression, thyroid and skin problems, menopausal symptoms, metabolic and hormonal issues. These may seem like separate problems, but they share one common root cause: inflammation.In Plant Powered Plus, Dr. Bulsiewicz unveils the transformative power of the gut-immune connection, guiding you step-by-step through an evidence-based, holistic approach to conquering inflammation and reclaiming your vitality. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theguthealthmd/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theguthealthmdTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguthealthmd_YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theguthealthmdWebsite: https://theguthealthmd.com/

durée : 00:53:25 - Grand bien vous fasse ! - par : Ali Rebeihi - Diabète de type 2, maladie de Crohn, cancers, maladies neurodégénératives... Quels sont les mécanismes biochimiques de ces composés nocifs pour notre santé ? Quels effets sur notre microbiote intestinal ou sur notre cerveau ? Comment mettre à distance ces composés délétères pour notre organisme ? Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

Ulcerative colitis affects more than two million people in the United States, most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 30. In this episode, we shed light on the hidden suffering of this chronic illness and the strength it demands.   Anna Catherine "AC" Brenny, team leader of our Charleston, South Carolina community, shares her powerful journey of walking through the physical pain, relentless side effects, and ultimately three life-altering surgeries. Through it all, AC reveals what the Lord taught her about endurance, the shaping of character, and a hope that does not fade.   Her story is a reminder that in seasons of hardship, we are never alone. When we lean into Jesus, He is at work—bringing purpose, healing, and hope even in the most difficult chapters.   VERSE OF THE WEEK: Romans 5:3-4 "We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."   CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Are you in a season of suffering or hardship? Practice leaning into God and allow Him to give you the endurance to persevere, the character to face your challenges with strength, and the hope that will anchor your soul.   ________________________________________________   Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard Listen to a similar story:  Ep. 352- Kristen Jones: "A Second Chance at Life- A Story of Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease"   Download a phone background of the weekly verse HERE!   Give to StoryTellers Live in honor of AC and any of our past storytellers!   Join us "In the Room" on Patreon to access new stories straight from our live gatherings around the country!   Click here for further details on our Stories of Hope luncheon on March 11th in Birmingham!   Click HERE for a free sample of our When God Shows Up: Stories of Faith bible study   Shop for our When God Shows Up Bible Study series~ Stories of Hope, Stories of Freedom, Stories of Faith Are you interested in one-on-one coaching with our very own Robyn Kown!?  Click HERE!   Check out all of our live speaking engagement opportunities on our website.   Sign up to receive StoryTellers Live's weekly newsletter for updates and details on our live gatherings.

If you're hacing trouble sleeping, you've probably tried the melatonin, lavender pillow sprays, air conditioner, eye mask and even prescription drugs - but what if the real root cause of your sleep issues are coming from somewhere else?   TOPICS DISCUSSED: The gut microbiome and sleep connection The Serotonin to Melatonin conversion process How your gut microbiome regulates your circadian rhythm Inflammation increasing cortisol The role of nutrients, histamines and brain stiulating chemicals in sleep How stress, leaky gut and blood sugar wake you up 5 simple steps to start sleeping better   If you have Crohn's, Colitis or Diverticulitis, be sure to check out my second podcast: Reversing Crohn's and Colitis Naturally.   Leave us a Review: https://www.reversablepod.com/review   Need help with your gut? Visit my website gutsolution.ca to join a program: Get help now   Contact us: reversablepod.com/tips    FIND ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram  Facebook  YouTube

Join Liz Cruz M.D. and Tina Nunziato, Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, as they discuss the wonders of fascia.  Learn what fascia is, what makes it get tight and stiff and multiple ways to fix the problem if you're struggling.  If your back is stiff or your mssage therapist has mentioned you have a lot of "knots" in your back, this podcast is for you!  For those of you interested in the fascia class Dr. Cruz purchased recently - download the App "Daily OM" and then search for the class titled, "The 2-Week Fascia Miracle" by Erin Tietz.  Mid-podcast commercial was on the Gastro Greens.  Please check out this link for more information: https://drlizcruz.com/collections/supplements/products/dr-liz-cruz-gastro-greensWatch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/p68W2BJpIloDr. Cruz is a Board Certified Gastroenterologist who practices in Phoenix, AZ. Along with her wife Tina Nunziato, a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, they have helped tens of thousands of individuals get well from a more holistic standpoint. They focus on issues such as constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, heartburn, gas, bloating, food sensitivities, IBS, Crohn's disease, and diverticulitis in addition to a person's general overall health. They do this by teaching about real food, water, digestive enzymes, probiotics, detox, greens, electrolytes, food sensitivity testing, and so much more. If you're struggling with finding the answers to your issues, tired of not feeling well, and sick of taking over the counter and prescription medicines, schedule a FREE 30 minute phone consult at www.drlizcruz.com.For more information visit www.digestthispodcast.com or www.drlizcruz.com. Enjoy the show! Dr. Liz Cruz and Tina Nunziato, CHNC

In this episode, Tina sits down with Dane Johnson, founder of Crohn's Colitis Lifestyle, to break down the real differences between IBD and IBS and why confusing the two can keep people stuck. They dive into the emotional weight of chronic digestive symptoms, the fear around food, and what it truly means to “heal your gut.” From popular diets like SCD and AIP to digestive enzymes, peptides, and biohacking tools, they explore what actually helps. More importantly, they zoom out to the often-overlooked foundations: anatomy, digestion, nervous system regulation, mindset, and long-term sustainability. This conversation challenges the idea that food alone is the answer and offers a grounded, empowering perspective for anyone navigating Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, or chronic gut inflammation. Here's what you'll learn: - Why food alone isn't the full solution for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis - The lifestyle factors that silently trigger inflammation and most patients ignore - Why your happiness and mindset are not “woo” and how they affect your symptoms - How to create your own IBD food philosophy instead of following strict diets forever - His take on supplements, peptides, exosomes, and who actually needs them. - Why most people waste money before fixing foundational habits - His go-to “Digestion-Friendly Salad” and why it works for sensitive guts - One mistake almost everyone with IBD makes when trying to heal their digestion Connect with Tina Haupert: https://carrotsncake.com/ Facebook: Carrots 'N' Cake https://www.facebook.com/carrotsncake Instagram: @carrotsncake https://www.instagram.com/carrotsncake YouTube: Tina Haupert https://www.youtube.com/user/carrotsncake About Tina Haupert: Tina Haupert is the owner of Carrots ‘N' Cake as well as a Certified Nutrition Coach and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P). Tina and her team use functional testing, peptides, and a personalized approach to nutrition to help women find balance within their diets while achieving their body composition goals. Connect with Dane Johnson: https://crohnscolitislifestyle.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crohnscolitis_lifestyle/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3Yhapgc2Qb16_MP7f-DuQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrohnsColitisLifestyle Twitter: https://twitter.com/danejohnson24 About Dane Johnson: Dane is the founder of CrohnsColitisLifestyle inspired by his life-threatening battle with Crohn's/Colitis, which he reversed using natural practice. As a Board Certified Nutritionist and one of the most successful Crohn's/Colitis coaches in the world, he has helped thousands around the world find their unique answer to IBD while building a community of supporters, doctors and healers!

Norah St Peter never saw herself as an athlete. She grew up in the performing arts, ran cross country in high school but didn't connect with it, and later spent years very sick before finally being diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Once she reached remission, movement became something to celebrate. Rock climbing led to running, running led to a half marathon, and not long after crossing that finish line she signed up for her first full at the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth on her birthday weekend.She trained through a cold Texas winter, only for race day to spike into the 80s. When the half marathoners split off and the course got quiet, the race shifted. The wall hit, the heat took a toll, and she crossed the finish line feeling physically and mentally feeling a bit wrecked. We also talk about taper tantrums, leaning on community, racing in remission, and what it means to do everything right in training and still have a hard day. This episode is a great reminder that even if the finish doesn't come with fireworks, you still ran a marathon. Follow along with Norah on Instagram at @norahtriestorun !Support Norah's local chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis FoundationFollow along with the show: 

In this episode of The Talking Gut Podcast, I'm joined by leading gastroenterologist Professor Jane Andrews, a Clinical Professor with more than 25 years of experience in patient care, research, and health system innovation. From building one of Australia's largest IBD services to serving as Chair and Medical Director of Crohn's Colitis Cure, Professor Andrews has played a major role in shaping modern gastroenterology and patient-centred care. Together, we explore how to create real value in healthcare from improving access and coordination through digital tools to designing integrated, multidisciplinary models that better support people living with gut conditions. Professor Andrews shares insights into value-based care, digital registries and telehealth, patient empowerment through data access, and how health systems can deliver smarter, more equitable care. We also discuss the importance of holistic, lifestyle-focused approaches, including the role of behaviour change, mental wellbeing, and the gut–brain connection in managing chronic gastrointestinal conditions. Whether you're a clinician, healthcare leader, researcher, or someone living with a gut condition, this episode offers practical insights into building more empowering, efficient, and human-centred models of care. Please enjoy my conversation with Professor Jane Andrews.

In this episode, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) pharmacists Clarissa Rentsch and Sheridan Rodda break down the essentials of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, from diagnosis and treatment options to the expanding role of monoclonal therapies. We explore Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis, therapeutic drug monitoring and how pharmacists can optimise care for people living with IBD. A clear, practical conversation for clinicians and anyone wanting to better understand this complex condition. Purple Pen Podcast 2026 Listener Survey https://tinyurl.com/PPPSurvey2026

Hot flashes aren't the whole story. Perimenopause and menopause can impact your gut, hormones, and chronic illness symptoms - you're not imagining it. Listen to this episode of The Gut Show as we talk with Casey Farlow about what menopause is, how to get support, and more!   In this episode, we cover: Perimenopause and menopause [3:20] Introducing our guest [4:40] What is menopause? [6:01] Changes to gut health [8:53] Other symptoms [11:14] Monitoring estrogen and progesterone [13:53] Birth control [15:41] Can you stabilize hormones? [17:54] Hormone therapy & breast cancer [20:23] Is it hopeless? [21:30] Chronic illness & things getting worse [26:35] Hormone therapy and breast cancer [30:12] Who monitors this? [32:18] Labwork [35:20] Bone density screening [38:11]   Mentioned in this episode: MASTER Method Membership FREE IBS Warrior Summit Take the quiz: What's your poop personality?   About our guest: Casey Farlow, MPH, RDN is a registered dietitian and nationally recognized perimenopause nutrition expert who helps women stop fighting their bodies and start working with them during the hormonal transition of perimenopause. As the founder of The Perimenopause Nutritionist, Casey supports women struggling with stubborn weight gain, fatigue, sleep disruption, mood changes, and food frustration through hormone-aware nutrition, blood sugar regulation, and nervous system support. Connect with Casey   Thank you to our partners: ModifyHealth is the leader in evidence-based, medically-tailored meal delivery offering Monash Certified low FODMAP, Gluten free, and Mediterranean meals - expertly crafted to help you achieve better symptom control AND improve overall health.  The best part? They make it easy by doing all prep work for you. Simply choose the meals you want, stock your fridge or freezer when meals arrive at your door, then heat and enjoy when you're ready. Delicious meals. Less stress. Complete peace of mind. Check out modifyhealth.com and save 35% off your first order plus free shipping across the US with code: THEGUTSHOW.   mBIOTA is the next generation of the elemental diet. Developed with leading gastroenterologists and food scientists, it's the first formula that's both clinically effective and genuinely easy to drink. Pure, easily absorbed nutrients are essential, but the mBIOTA difference is in the details: from their proprietary Amino Taste Modification Technology (ATMT), to their fully vegan and gluten-free ingredients, mBIOTA provides balanced daily nutrition backed by science.  The result is a game-changing medical-grade formula that helps restore GI function in patients with SIBO, IMO, IBS, Crohn's, EoE and more. Learn more at mbiota.com and save 20% off their 2 week protocol with the code GUTIVATE.   FODZYME is the world's first enzyme supplement specialized to target FODMAPs. When sprinkled on or mixed with high-FODMAP meals, FODZYME's novel patent-pending enzyme blend breaks down fructan, GOS and lactose before they can trigger bloating, gas and other digestive issues.  With FODZYME, enjoy garlic, onion, wheat, brussels sprouts, beans, dairy and more — worry free! Discover the power of FODZYME's digestive enzyme blend and eat the foods you love and miss. Visit fodzyme.com and save 20% off your first order with code THEGUTSHOW. One use per customer.   Connect with Erin Judge, RD:  Instagram TikTok Work with Erin FREE symptom tracker  

Arthur a 38 ans. Depuis toujours, il vit avec une forme sévère de la maladie de Crohn qui l'a conduit à subir une ablation d'une partie de son système digestif et à porter aujourd'hui une poche de stomie.Dans cet épisode, Arthur partage une parole rare. Introverti, peu habitué à parler de lui, il raconte avec pudeur l'isolement qui s'est peu à peu installé dans sa vie : la difficulté à conserver des liens amicaux, la peur du regard des autres, puis l'éloignement progressif de toute intimité affective, sensuelle et sexuelle.Il raconte aussi le chemin qui l'a conduit à franchir une étape décisive en faisant appel à une accompagnatrice sexuelle via une association, une première expérience vécue quelques mois avant notre enregistrement. Avec beaucoup de douceur et d'émotion, il décrit cette rencontre qui lui a permis de se réconcilier en partie avec son corps et de retrouver, l'espace d'un moment, la possibilité d'un contact simple, humain et tendre.Un témoignage sensible sur la solitude, la vulnérabilité, la dignité et le besoin universel de lien et de toucher. Une conversation précieuse avec un homme discret qui accepte, le temps d'un épisode, d'ouvrir une porte très intime pour nous rappeler combien la sexualité fait aussi partie de la santé et de la vie. Merci à Victor de l'épisode 71 d'avoir motivé Arthur pour qu'il se livre.TW : détails de la stomie (opération consistant à créer une ouverture dans le côlon ou l'intestin grêle à travers l'abdomen pour évacuer les selles lorsqu'elles ne peuvent plus l'être par les voies naturelles.)

Send a textIn the online world we talk so much about inflammation -  but what actually matters with it comes to Crohn's & Colitis?In this episode, we talk about the significance of foundational health practices and balanced nutrition over trendy diets.Do you need to do a 4 am ice bath while intermittent fasting and drinking butter coffee? Let's dive into what the research says about inflammation and IBD.Takeaways-Inflammation is often misunderstood and misused in discussions.Context is crucial when discussing health and nutrition.Skipping meals can lead to malnourishment, impacting health.Intermittent fasting may not have the benefits often claimed.Not all processed foods are harmful; some can be beneficial.All foods undergo some level of processing.It's important to focus on whole foods for better health.Two truths can coexist in health discussions.The basics of nutrition must be prioritized before advanced strategies.Understanding individual health needs is essential for effective dietary choices.Chapters-00:00- Understanding Inflammation: A Modern Dilemma11:13- Intermittent Fasting: Myths and Realities13:57- Processed Foods: The Nuanced Conversation17:53- Conclusion: Key Takeaways and ResourcesFollow us on instagram @crohns_and_colitis_dietitiansFollow us on youtube @thecrohnscolitisdietitiansWe love helping provide quality content on IBD nutrition and making it more accessible to all through our podcast, instagram and youtube channel. Creating the resources we provide comes at a significant cost to us. We dream of a day where we can provide even more free education, guidance and support to those with IBD like us. We need your support to do this. You can help us by liking episodes, sharing them on your social media, subscribing to you tube and telling others about us (your doctors, friends, family, forums/reddit etc). Can you do this for us? In return, I promise to continually level up what we do here.

343: Today I'm joined by Dr. Albert Chung, who is a certified colon and rectal surgeon specializing in hemorrhoids, colorectal cancer, Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Diverticulitis, Anal Fissures and more. In our interview, we hone in on the topic of hemorrhoids and discuss what they are, natural ways to treat them and prevent them, and what we've been doing wrong!  Topics Discussed: → Different types of hemorrhoids → What causes hemorrhoids → What to look for if you have one → When to see a doctor → Typical time it takes for them to go away → Home treatments and what NOT to do → Is surgery for everyone → Different types of surgery options → Surgery recovery time  → What to expect from surgery → How to prevent hemorrhoids  As always, if you have any questions for the show please email us at digestthispod@gmail.com. And if you like this show, please share it, rate it, review it and subscribe to it on your favorite podcast app.  Sponsored By:  → Fatty15 | For 15% off the starter kit go to https://fatty15.com/digest → Seven Sundays | Go to https://sevensundays.com/ and use code: lilsip for 20% off Timestamps: → 00:00:00 - Introduction  → 00:02:36 - What are hemorrhoids  → 00:07:10 - Stress & digestion  → 00:09:12 - Sitting too long on the toilet  → 00:10:46 - Office chair donuts  → 00:12:06 - Hemorrhoid treatments  → 00:16:14 - Fiber intake  → 00:20:31 - Hydration level  → 00:23:18 - Size range  → 00:24:35 - When to see a doctor  → 00:26:17 - Recovery time→ 00:29:09 - Hemorrhoid surgery & recovery  → 00:33:43 - Pain management & level → 00:36:35 - Surgery options  → 00:39:03 - Recurrent hemorrhoids  → 00:41:11 - Untreated hemorrhoids  → 00:43:12 - Hemorrhoid prevention  Check Out Dr. Chung: → YouTube: Your Friendly Proctologist | @yourfriendlyproctologist → Instagram: @YourFriendlyProctologist  | https://www.instagram.com/yourfriendlyproctologist/ → Website | https://crsurgeryoc.com  Check Out Bethany: → Bethany's Instagram: @lilsipper → YouTube → Bethany's Website → Discounts & My Favorite Products → My Digestive Support Protein Powder → Gut Reset Book  → Get my Newsletters (Friday Finds) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trace nutrient deficiencies are one of the most overlooked aspects of healing. Because if your body lacks the ability to heal itself, simply because you do not have the building blocks, then you will always be at a deficit - like building a house with bricks. When it comes to bowel diseaes like Crohn's and Colitis, it's even more important.    TOPICS DISCUSSED: Why you lack nutrients and the biggest driving forces behind it The most common nutrient deficiencies in bowel disease How to get them into your system easily Why it's so important How you can begin healing yourself naturally   If you have Crohn's, Colitis or Diverticulitis, be sure to check out my second podcast: Reversing Crohn's and Colitis Naturally.   Leave us a Review: https://www.reversablepod.com/review   Need help with your gut? Visit my website gutsolution.ca to join a program: Get help now   Contact us: reversablepod.com/tips    FIND ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram  Facebook  YouTube

Join Liz Cruz M.D. and Tina Nunziato, Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, as they welcome their first success story and guest.  Thank you Sue for sharing your digestive health journey with us.  It was great to hear how the Pleasant Probiotics(r) have helped you with not only your digestive issues but so much more.  We're so glad you found us and we found you - thanks for Mary Lou!  Here's to many more years of good health! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bi_10GLNbRYDr. Cruz is a Board Certified Gastroenterologist who practices in Phoenix, AZ. Along with her wife Tina Nunziato, a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, they have helped tens of thousands of individuals get well from a more holistic standpoint. They focus on issues such as constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, heartburn, gas, bloating, food sensitivities, IBS, Crohn's disease, and diverticulitis in addition to a person's general overall health. They do this by teaching about real food, water, digestive enzymes, probiotics, detox, greens, electrolytes, food sensitivity testing, and so much more. If you're struggling with finding the answers to your issues, tired of not feeling well, and sick of taking over the counter and prescription medicines, schedule a FREE 30 minute phone consult at www.drlizcruz.com.For more information visit www.digestthispodcast.com or www.drlizcruz.com. Enjoy the show! Dr. Liz Cruz and Tina Nunziato, CHNC

HEALTH NEWS Intermittent fasting cut Crohn's disease activity by 40% and halved inflammation in randomized clinical trial Why relying on AI may lead to poor decision making Study of 12 monks finds meditation heightens brain activity, reshaping neural dynamics Worrying about aging may actually age women faster Cognitive speed training linked to lower dementia incidence up to 20 years later   Clips: GAME OVER: Americans Hit RECORD Consumer Debt of $24 Billion/Month as Jobs VANISH - World Affairs in Context  Daniela Cambone Show - 5.1 Trillion Dollar Bond Fraud  Dr. Fauci on PCR  Chris Hedges - Noam Chomsky, Jeffrey Epstein and the Politics of Betrayal  

He had the looks, the career, the life—but behind the gloss, Dane Johnson's body was shutting down. In this episode, we go far beyond symptom talk and into the raw terrain of what it actually takes to reclaim health when the system fails you. From healing his own Crohn's diagnosis to transforming his daughter's prognosis, Dane reveals the deeper war no one sees.⬇️The 3-Day 180 Retreat (Feb 26, 2026)https://www.nicolefrolick.com/3-day-180-retreat⬇️Work With Nicole 1:1https://www.nicolefrolick.com/work-with-nicoleDANE JOHNSONWebsite: https://crohnscolitislifestyle.com/Healing Journal:https://www.cclworkshop.com/application?source=NicoleFrolickPodcast&el=NicoleFrolickPodcastIBD Strategy Session:https://www.cclworkshop.com/application?source=NicoleFrolickPodcast&el=NicoleFrolickPodcastSUBSCRIBE & FOLLOWIf you're enjoying the show, please subscribe to iTunes and leave me a 5 star review!  This is what helps the podcast stand out from the crowd and allows me to help people find a refreshing spin on spirituality with a great blend of entertainment and credible advice.Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/3wa5dnwjWebsite: http://nicolefrolick.com/Meditations: https://www.nicolefrolick.com/meditationsYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/user/nicolefrolickInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolefrolick/Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@nicolefrolickSpotify: shorturl.at/fikF7iTunes: http://apple.co/2ve7DtE

Stroke Effects: What a Hemorrhagic Stroke Did to Jake Stroke effects aren't always obvious. Some show up immediately. Others arrive quietly, long after the hospital discharge papers are signed. For Jake, the stroke effects didn't end when his life was saved; they began there. Four months after a hemorrhagic stroke, Jake can walk, talk, think clearly, and hold a conversation that's thoughtful, articulate, and reflective. To someone passing him in the street, he might look “lucky.” But stroke effects don't ask for permission to be visible. They live beneath the surface, shaping movement, sensation, pain, identity, and recovery in ways few people prepare you for. This is what stroke did to Jake. The Stroke Effects That Came Without Warning Before his stroke, Jake's life was full and demanding. A husband. A father of four. An administrator coordinating drivers and operations. Active. Fit. Always moving toward the next opportunity. But in hindsight, the stroke effects were quietly signaling their arrival. Jake experienced severe headaches with a rapid onset. Nausea. Vomiting. Visual disturbances. At the time, they were dismissed as migraines. His blood pressure had been flagged as “pre-high” years earlier while living overseas, but after returning to Canada, he found himself without a regular doctor in an overloaded medical system. These were early stroke effects masquerading as manageable inconveniences. When the hemorrhagic stroke finally hit, it did so decisively, affecting the right side of his body, disrupting speech, movement, sensation, and cognition all at once. What Stroke Did to His Body One of the most misunderstood stroke effects is how specific and strange the deficits can be. Jake didn't just “lose strength.” He lost motor planning. When he tried to write the letter T, his brain sent the wrong instruction. Instead of a straight downward line, his hand looped as if writing an L. The muscles worked. The intention was there. The signal was wrong. To retrain that connection, he didn't practice ten times. He practiced thousands. This is one of the realities of stroke effects: recovery isn't about effort alone, it's about repetition at a scale most rehab programs don't explain clearly enough. Post-Stroke Pain: The Stroke Effect No One Warns You About If there's one stroke effect that dominates Jake's day-to-day experience, it's pain. Not soreness. Not discomfort. Neuropathic pain. Jake describes it as: Burning sensations Tingling Tightness, like plastic strapping wrapped around his limbs At its worst, a “12 out of 10” pain, like being tased while his hand is on fire This kind of post-stroke pain often resets overnight. One morning, he wakes up and feels almost normal. The next, the pain returns without warning, severe enough to stop him in his tracks. This is a stroke effect that confuses survivors and clinicians alike because it doesn't follow logic, effort, or consistency. It simply exists. And for many survivors, it's one of the hardest stroke effects to live with. The Non-Linear Reality of Stroke Effects Stroke recovery doesn't move forward in a straight line. Jake learned this quickly. One week brings noticeable gains. The next feels like a regression. Then progress returns quietly, unexpectedly. This non-linear pattern is itself a stroke effect. Early on, these fluctuations feel frightening. Survivors worry they're “going backwards.” But over time, patterns emerge. Rest days aren't failures. They're part of recovery. Silent healing days matter just as much as active ones. Understanding this changed how Jake viewed his recovery and how he measured progress. Identity Loss: An Overlooked Stroke Effect Some stroke effects don't show up on scans. Jake wasn't defined by his job, but work still mattered. Structure mattered. Contribution mattered. After the stroke, uncertainty crept in. Would he return to the same role? Could he handle the same responsibility? Should he? Stroke effects often force people to renegotiate identity, not because they want to, but because they must. The question shifts from “What do I do?” to “Who am I now?” For many survivors, this is one of the most emotionally demanding stroke effects of all. Recovery Begins With Action, Not Permission While hospitalized, Jake made a decision. He wouldn't wait passively. He brought in notebooks. Pencils. Hand grippers. Hair clippers. He practiced shaving, writing, and gripping, no matter how long it took. If writing the alphabet took all day, that was the day's work. By discharge, his writing had moved from scribbles to cursive. This wasn't luck. It was intentional engagement with stroke effects, meeting them head-on instead of avoiding them. What Stroke Effects Teach Us Jake's experience reveals something important: Stroke effects are not just medical outcomes. They are lived realities. They affect: How your body moves How pain shows up How progress feels How identity shifts How hope is tested And yet, understanding stroke effects, naming them, and normalizing them can reduce fear and isolation. That's why conversations like this matter. You're Not Alone With These Stroke Effects If you're early in recovery, you might recognize yourself in Jake's story. If you're years in, you might recognize where you've been. Either way, stroke effects don't mean the end of progress. They mean the beginning of a different kind of journey, one that rewards patience, repetition, and perspective. If you want to go deeper into recovery insights, lived experience, and hope-driven guidance: Learn more about the book here: The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing That Happened Support the podcast and community here: Recovery After Stroke Patreon Final Thought Stroke effects don't define who you are, but they do shape how you recover. Jake's story reminds us that recovery isn't about returning to who you were. It's about learning how to live fully with what remains and discovering what's still possible. Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. Living With Stroke Effects You Can't Always See Jake reveals the stroke effects that remained after the hospital—pain, motor issues, fatigue, and how he's navigating recovery four months on. Highlights: 00:00 Introduction and Background 05:10 Health Awareness and Signs 16:56 Personal Health Journey and Challenges 23:11 Recovery Process and Emotional Impact 38:28 Attitude Towards Recovery 46:30 Long-Term Recovery and Reflection 55:06 Work and Identity Post-Stroke 01:07:40 Pain Management and Coping Strategies 01:16:16 Community and Shared Experiences Transcript: Introduction and Background Bill Gasiamis (00:00) Today’s episode is one that really stayed with me long after we finished recording. You’re going to meet Jake, a stroke survivor who is very early in recovery and navigating the reality of what stroke actually does to a person long after the emergency has What makes this conversation so powerful isn’t just the hemorrhagic stroke Jake experienced. It’s how openly he talks about the stroke effects that followed. The pain, the confusion. the nonlinear recovery and the parts of stroke that are hard to explain unless you’ve lived them. I won’t give away Jake’s story that’s his to tell, but I will say this. If you’re early in recovery or you’re trying to make sense of symptoms that don’t quite fit the brochures or discharge notes, there’s a good chance you’ll hear something in Jake’s experience that feels confronting and reassuring at the same time. Now, before we get into the conversation, want to pause for a moment and say this, everything you hear, the interviews, the hosting, the editing exists because listeners like you help keep this podcast going. When you visit patreon.com slash recovery after stroke, you’re supporting my goal of recording a thousand episodes. So no stroke survivor has to ever feel like they’re navigating this if you’re looking for something you can lean on throughout your recovery or while supporting someone you love my book, the unexpected way that a stroke became the best thing that happened is available at recovery after stroke.com slash book. It’s the resource I wished I’d had when I was confused, overwhelmed and trying to understand what stroke had done to my life. all right. Now let’s get into the conversation with Jake. Bill (01:40) Jake Bordeaux, welcome to the podcast. Jake (01:42) Hi Bill, how are you this evening? Bill (01:44) I’m very well my friend. It is morning here. Just gone past 9am. We had a late night last night. We went to the opera and we saw Carmen. Jake (01:57) Hmm. How’s that? Bill (01:59) And for those who haven’t seen it, it’s in French and you have to read the subtitles because it has subtitles. I couldn’t read them because I was just a little too far. So I was squinting the whole night. But it’s a great opera, it was a great show, but we got home late so I’m quite tired. Jake (02:20) I couldn’t imagine that. Luckily I do speak French. So I wouldn’t need the subtitles, but that’s something I was afraid of actually, you know, coming out of the stroke is I was afraid almost that I had forgotten how to speak French or that I’d forgotten how to speak both languages. But luckily I speak ⁓ English and French. Bill (02:40) With a name like Bordeaux, I would definitely expect you to at least have some idea of French. Jake (02:45) Yes, indeed, sir. Half English and half French. I’ve been using that largely to my advantage. I’d been working up here in Northern Ontario with Federal Express. So I was working in administration here and sort of coordinating the management and the drivers being the liaison during the two during the day. so, you know, anytime the drivers might have equipment that needs any kind of repair or any kind of issues they might come up with on road as well as when they leave the station and when they come back into the station, I’m the guy that they would deal with. Bill (03:22) Wow, that’s cool. So tell me what was life like before stroke for you? What were you up to? What kind of things did you do? How did you spend your time? Jake (03:33) Well, life has had a lot of ups and downs for me in the last year’s bill. So, ⁓ I had been living for many years in, in Hong Kong and I’m originally from Canada and, I was born in the seventies, born in Ontario here. And by 2009, I had had various, you know, done grit, various career, choices or opportunities, job opportunities here. And I decided to. try my hand at a little something overseas. ⁓ I had an opportunity with a fellow Canadian named Noah Fuller who brought me over wanting to show me how to get into the watch business. And being two ⁓ enthusiasts, you know, being, ⁓ you know, I’d say we were into watch modification, watch restoration, and we were wanting to get a little bit more into building custom parts and building out custom watches. ⁓ working with various ⁓ people, military groups, et cetera, at working on their watch project. So he asked me to come to Hong Kong, learn everything that he knew about the business, and hopefully show me what I was gonna get into over there. That worked out, and while I was over there, I met my wife, I love my wife, I’m still with her. Stroke Effects: Health Awareness and Signs I got together with my wife in 2009 when I had first arrived in Hong Kong and I got married to her in 2010. During that time, Noah unfortunately passed away, so I lost my business partner, but the business continued to grow. So over the years, the business grew with my wife and I running that on our own. ⁓ Unfortunately, maybe it got some of the attention on the world stage. There’s been a lot of political, we’ll say issues in Hong Kong and leading into the pandemic, business was already suffering. ⁓ Once the pandemic hit and Hong Kong was locked down for a ⁓ big chunk of time. that really affected our business and took it down. By the time the pandemic had played its way out, our life over there was looking like it wasn’t panning out the way we’d wanted it to. And a lot of the opportunities that had been unfolding for us all of a sudden came to a close. ⁓ So we moved back to Canada. about two years ago and I started working up here and thinking about our next business opportunity. I’m a lot like you and I’m never really satisfied with what I’m doing and I kind of want to reach for the next thing and I kind of want to reach for more. So I like to work a lot. So while I was working on getting the next thing started, I was working with Federal Express. My days would be really, really busy. I would get up quite early in the morning and I’d chop wood here. I have a dog that I like to walk. I have a golden retriever. I have four children. So I have three girls and a boy and they’re ranging from four years old to 14 years old. They’re all in school. And of course, I was working full time at Federal Express and ⁓ working towards the next thing. So I guess life was pretty active. Bill (07:27) Pretty helpful. Did you have any sense that, you know, with regards to your health, things might take a turn? Was there any information coming to you that you might see now kind of in hindsight and go, well, that was probably a sign. Jake (07:45) Yeah, Bill. So I’ve watched a lot of your podcasts and I found them particularly helpful, especially a lot of the ones relating to hemorrhagic stroke. ⁓ Reason being that’s what happened to me. So ⁓ I had a hemorrhagic stroke ⁓ and it took out a large part of ⁓ my capabilities, I guess, mobility on my right side. So a lot of my body that’s affected is my right side. ⁓ Now, when I got back here from Hong Kong to Canada, unfortunately, I came here to a little bit of an overloaded medical system, to say the least. So I’m hoping that maybe some of what we’re talking today might help people who are in Canada if they suffer the ⁓ same thing as I did to try and get them on track for us, get them back into recovery. ⁓ When I arrived here, the system was overloaded. I didn’t have a doctor. So unfortunately, while I had been warned for several years that I had pre high blood pressure and ⁓ the doctors in Hong Kong had been, you know, monitoring my blood pressure and keeping a pretty close eye on things after arriving here in Canada, that wasn’t a case. And so you know, it would look now that I think about it, that I was having some warning signs. I was having headaches and I’d say that some of those headaches were pretty severe. ⁓ The headaches would come on like a, like a very fast, ⁓ fast onset headache. I would get very nauseated very quickly. ⁓ And then sort of, would, I’d vomit the headache. would pass. At first, I thought I was getting migraine headaches. I’d had one when I was a lot younger. But ⁓ these were coming with some visual disturbance. I was having this horrible headache. was having nausea. So all the things you might expect from a migraine, except that it was going away within minutes and all of a sudden I was back at work. you know, in hindsight, that definitely was ⁓ a warning flashes. And ⁓ had I had a proper physician, if I had somebody watching out for me, they may have caught that. I don’t know, there’s no way for us to know that. So what I would say is, if anybody’s having pretty high blood pressure, keep an eye on that. I would say my blood pressure when I had the stroke was quite high. And if I had been monitoring that, I might’ve been on top of it. So would you like to hear about the day that it happened or? Bill (10:45) Yeah, I would in a moment. So with the blood pressure in Hong Kong, were you being monitored and also medicated or was it just you were being monitored? Bill Gasiamis (10:56) We’ll get back to Jake’s story in just a moment. I want to pause for a second and ask you something important. Why do you listen to this podcast? For many people, it’s because they finally hear someone who understands what they’re going through or because they learn something that helps them make sense of their own stroke effects without feeling overwhelmed or alone. And here’s the part most listeners never really think podcast only exists because people like you help keep it There’s no big company behind it. No medical organization funding the work. It’s just me, a fellow stroke survivor doing everything I can to make sure these conversations are available for the next person who wakes up after a stroke and doesn’t know what comes One of the biggest challenges after stroke is finding reliable information without spending years searching, reading and second guessing yourself. That’s why I want to mention turn2.ai. Turn2 isn’t a sponsor, it’s a tool I personally use. If you choose to sign up using my affiliate link, you’ll get 10 % off and I’ll receive a small commission and no extra cost to you. That commission helps support the podcast and keep these conversations free. What Turn2 does is simple but powerful. It saves you time. Instead of spending years trying to track down research, discussions and updates about stroke, Turn2 brings relevant information straight to you. If you’re already dealing with fatigue, pain or cognitive overload, saving time and mental energy matters. And if you want to go deeper on your recovery journey, you can also grab my book, The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing That Happened at recoveryafterstroke.com slash book. If this podcast has helped you feel understood even once, consider supporting the mission in whatever way feels right for you. All right, let’s get back to Jake. Jake (12:46) No, so I wasn’t being medicated for high blood pressure at all. was kind of these, well, it’s not quite severe enough to really do anything about it, so we’ll just keep an eye on it. ⁓ I did have pre-existing ⁓ medical issues. When I was quite a lot younger, I had suffered from ⁓ what some people might call Crohn’s disease or an inflammatory bowel issue. and I had some back pain. But other than that, I wasn’t really on any other types of medications. I wasn’t on any kinds of blood pressure medications, any kind of heart medications. ⁓ I wasn’t on any kind of antidepressants or anything like that. ⁓ I would say that I was pretty much feeling like I was in fairly good shape. haven’t gained or lost a heck of a lot of weight since the stroke. So what you see is what you get. wasn’t overweight. I wasn’t eating a lot of junk. I don’t smoke cigarettes. So. Bill (13:56) Yeah. One of those things. I know what you mean. Like I’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure in the last six months and headaches. Jake, I’ve had headaches for years. I’m talking maybe four or five years. And at the beginning, they were intermittent. They would come and go similar to what you mentioned. And I would be able to get through the day. And I thought they were migraines, although nobody really convinced me that they were migraines. I couldn’t really say. That sounds familiar if I look up what migraine is and all the people who I’ve ever asked about a migraine, it never sounded like, I was never convinced by it. And then a little while ago, was at home, excuse me, I was at home with my wife, feeling really unwell. Did my, checked my blood pressure and it was about 170 over 110, 120, somewhere there. And that was, I knew that’s way too high, know, previously. I’ve checked my blood pressure maybe on the on perfect day and it was 120 over 80. So for me that was pretty serious. We went to the hospital because of all my history and they said your blood pressure is high. It’s probably a migraine causing you to have a migraine which is then causing your blood pressure to go high rather than the other way around. They didn’t say it’s high blood pressure is causing the migraine and or the headache. And then they put me on some migraine medication and they said, if we give you this migraine medication, it’s going to knock you out. You’re going to sleep, but you should wake up without a headache. Well, I woke up with a headache. The migraine medication didn’t do anything. So within a couple of weeks of that particular hospitalization and then going to my general practitioner, he prescribed me a blood pressure medication, came to start on it’s called to help keep the blood pressure down. Now I’m trying to get to the bottom of why do I have high blood pressure? That’s the part that’s frustrating me, because no one can tell you why you have high blood pressure unless they check your arteries and they’re half clogged or you’ve got some other issues with your heart or something like that. And I don’t have any of those issues. So now ⁓ it’s one of those things. It’s kind of like, well, you have high blood pressure. It might be something that runs in your family. When I check with my dad, my dad says that he has high blood pressure. My dad’s 84. So it’s like, you know, and he says, I started taking blood pressure medication at around 50, which is my age. But that’s still, that’s not good enough for me. Like I’m still not comfortable with, well, your dad did. So you are, and then therefore, just move on with life, take this tablet and then move on. Now I’m happy to take the tablet because I do not want to have another hemorrhagic stroke. I’m very comfortable taking a tablet to prevent that, right? No trauma, no traumas. Personal Health Journey, Stroke Effects, and Challenges But ⁓ it’s a very interesting place to find myself in after going through all the three brain hemorrhages that I’ve already had since 2012, brain surgery, learning how to walk again. Now I’ve had enough. I don’t want… I don’t want to be doing this anymore, even though I am finding myself here and I’m tackling it. Part of me is going, man, this is too much. Why do we need to go through this now? Jake (17:29) Yeah, I wanted to ask you something actually, maybe if you’ve had the same, you brought something back to mind here, is that one thing I did have, again, in hindsight, I had visual disturbance. in 2018, my grandmother, bless her shit, my grandmother passed away and I was abroad and I took it pretty hard. was largely raised by my grandfather, my grandmother. And I took it, it was very emotional. And ⁓ when I was grieving, I had an episode where I had a rather bad headache. And again, I had one of these feelings, like I thought I had a migraine headache. Maybe I did, or maybe we’re reading something into it. But coming out of that, I had a visual problem. And it was one of my eyes. in my right eye, you know, again, I have my issues now with my right hand side. My right eye had gotten quite blurry. I was having ⁓ issues with my vision in my right eye. And ⁓ a doctor had decided that, well, maybe it’s a form of macular degeneration. And he decided to do a laser surgery. at the time in Hong Kong. However, it didn’t have any effect. It didn’t help me out at all. And the only thing that helped that was time. And I wonder again now if the reason why treating the eye didn’t take any effect is because he should have been treating or looking at the brain. I think that maybe the issue might have been a small stroke to begin with. and I didn’t realize it at the time. Bill (19:25) That sounds very plausible, right? That’s I think probably a very logical conclusion to get to. Sometimes, you you hear people lose their vision and the way they discovered they’ve had a stroke is they’ll go to the ophthalmologist and they’ll say, I can’t see. And the guy will go, well, your eye looks perfect. I there’s nothing wrong with your lens. There’s nothing wrong with the macula. The eye pressure is fine. Everything’s fine. And that definitely suggests that there is a ⁓ neurological issue of some kind, right? So it’s like, next step is go to the hospital, get it checked out. But ⁓ yeah, well, there’ll be no way of knowing, but I science, I had similar kind of things happen about a year and a half before my first bleed. was at our local football here, which ⁓ my team made the what we call the grand final. There’s usually a playoff series and then the last two teams get to the final game of the year and then the one that wins wins the championship. And my team made it and I was there cheering them on, screaming my head off, you know, just being a really passionate supporter and went home that weekend with a massive headache that lasted about five days and ended up in hospital. They did a lumbar puncture. They checked for a brain hemorrhage or anything along those lines and they didn’t find anything and they also didn’t find the faulty blood vessel that later would cause the first brain hemorrhage. But when I speak to people about it, everyone will say, well, we’ll never know, Bill. There’s no way of knowing whether they were linked. But in my mind, it’s pretty logical to conclude that that first massive five day headache was a sign that something wasn’t right in my brain. And although they had that suspicion of that, they didn’t know what they were looking for. So they couldn’t find the faulty blood vessel. just did a scan, a CT, sorry. Yeah, they just did a CT to actually see if there was any visible signs of a tumor or a bleed or something like that. And since there wasn’t, they weren’t able to diagnose the faulty blood vessel that would later. ⁓ bleed three times. Jake (21:55) That’s incredible, by the way, the three times thing, and that’s got to take a lot of strength to get through. ⁓ I don’t know if I had mentioned to you, how recent this has been. So ⁓ one thing that I’ve noticed with your podcast is that most of the guests who are on have had a considerable amount of time elapse in between when the event has taken place and when they’ve been able to get back lot of their capabilities, a lot of their abilities. So how long exactly did it take you to get back to the stage or the state that you’re in now? Bill (22:36) I would say that I had, ⁓ well, the first three years were tumultuous because every time I was on the road to recovery after the first bleed, then the second bleed happened, that was six weeks apart. And then after the second bleed, I was really unwell. ⁓ Memory issues, couldn’t type an email, couldn’t read, couldn’t drive, couldn’t work. Recovery Process and Emotional Impact angry, really angry. I was probably in that state for the best part of about six to nine months. And then it started to ease and settle down as the blood vessel stopped bleeding. And then the, and then the blood in my head started to dissipate and kind of dissolved, I suppose. And I think I thought everything was going fine. So between February, 2012 and November, 2014, that’s when I had the next bleed November, 2014. the third one. And then when I woke up from that, I had to learn how to walk again. So by the time I got to February 2015, I had been three years in you know, in the dungeon, you know, getting just smashed around by stroke again and again and again, and then brain surgery, then learning how to walk again. And I think personally, I turned the tide maybe at around 2018, 2019. So it took another three to four years for me to feel like even though I’m living with all these deficits, I have got enough of my cognitive function back, my physical function back to be able to go back to my painting company, which had been on pause for a number of years. yeah, so all up, you know, from first bleed, Jake (24:25) incredible. Bill (24:30) to back to the painting company, you know, it seven years. It was quite a long time. And I hear people have similar kind of stories about five, six, seven years. They’re still dealing with everything that the stroke caused, but they have some kind of a turn, like for the better, some kind of like a shift in whether it’s mindset, whether it’s emotionally or whether it’s physically, they have kind of some. Like a fork in the road moment where things change for the better. Jake (25:03) That’s incredibly inspiring for me. So yeah, you give me a lot of hope because I’ve been going through a lot and I’ve only been at this for four months now. so I had this stroke in late July and upon getting into the hospital, again, I wasn’t able to talk. I wasn’t able to use my, couldn’t move my right hand side at all. ⁓ I wasn’t able to go to the washroom, any of the things. I was basically left with kind of like ⁓ a blank slate and everything that I’ve gotten back has been pretty rapid. So I’m really extremely thankful for that, especially that, given that hemorrhagic strokes are rare, ⁓ consequences seem to be more severe and more often fatal. So, yeah, I’ve only been at this for a few months, Bill (26:10) Yeah, I was gonna ask what was it what happened on the day of the strike? What was it like? Jake (26:16) Yeah, so on the day of the stroke, let me get back there for just a second. Right, so on the day of, it was a pretty regular day and I had got up, it was a beautiful day, it was July. ⁓ My family had been on a trip recently, they’d gone to the nation’s capital and visited my family and I was happy to have them back. I just bought my wife a new bike and ⁓ I tuned it up. The dog had been out and I was starting work at 2 p.m. So I was about to go in for 2 p.m. and see the drivers for the whole second part of their day until the closing. ⁓ And I ⁓ was biking into work. again, I was incredibly active. ⁓ So I was biking to work and it would be generally about a 15 minute bike ride and it’s a lot of uphill, et cetera. And some of the route is through some residential areas and even some pathways that go through the woods. Again, I live in Canada and in particular in Northern Ontario in quite a small town named Kirkland called Kirkland Lake, which is a gold mining town. we’re in a gold mining boom right now. And so yeah, I was biking to work, feeling pretty good. ⁓ When I got to work, or when I was just getting to work, I was pretty close to being late ⁓ after messing around with the kids a little bit. And so I pushed myself a little bit harder than I usually do. ⁓ I got to work right on time. I got in a little bit winded. And I started getting my equipment together, got all of my equipment and headed to my office and headed to the window where I’d be greeting all of the drivers as they come into the station. And I started to feel a little bit dizzy. So my thinking was though, I probably just pushed it a little too hard and I probably should have had a drink of water. So I grabbed a drink of water. And ⁓ I sat back down at my desk and the first drivers started to come in. And as they started to come in, I started to feel like it was hard ⁓ to keep track of what they were saying. I was having a hard time concentrating and that’s really not like me. Usually I’m able to concentrate on four children, a wife, a pet, myself. And when I’m at work, I’m able to deal with the whole station full of FedEx workers, drivers, et cetera. So I started asking the drivers, can you just leave your things with me? I’m going to put them aside for a few minutes until I’m back in the game here. I think I’ve winded myself a bit. I’m just going to chill. And the equipment started to pile up, because it was one driver, two drivers. three drivers. And as this was starting to go on, I was looking over at a lady who was working next to me in the office. ⁓ And ⁓ I’m very lucky that she was there. And ⁓ I’ll let you know why in a second. But ⁓ I started to look at her and I started to look at the drivers. And I think at that point, she looked at me and ⁓ it struck her there’s something really not right with Jake. So she came over and started to ask me some questions and she started to try and direct the drivers away from me so that maybe they’d stop asking questions. And it became pretty apparent to her real quick ⁓ that I was having a stroke. Now, thankfully, this lady’s not usually sitting in the office next to me. It was one of those things where she just happened to be there this day and she happens to work with the fire brigade here. and she works with first responders and she’s incredibly well educated as far as first aid and strokes and heart attacks, et cetera. So she was able to recognize what was going on with me right away. ⁓ She had management and she had everybody ⁓ take a look at me and they had the first responders coming right away. The emergency crew showed up within minutes. and they started asking me all the appropriate questions and they started lifting me out of there and driving me away. So I got to work, I guess, at about 2 p.m. That was when my shift started. And ⁓ by 2.25, ⁓ my wife was walking home from the neighborhood park with our kids and heard an ambulance. go by here, not realizing it was me. I’d been taken off in the ambulance. They brought me to a nearby town and then they airlifted me to Sudbury, Ontario. I guess in our nearby town, they determined that yes, I was having a stroke. They did a very quick preliminary scan. They sent me to Sudbury, Ontario, where they started doing more scans and figured out exactly what was going on. Although the medical system had failed me and I didn’t have a doctor going into it, when the rubber hit the road there, they had it together and they got me the appropriate help as fast as possible. That’s probably what helped me to get my recovery online so quick. Bill (32:18) definitely does the time that you take to get to hospital makes a massive difference. That was a good outcome considering everything that was going wrong at the time. So then how does the hospital stay go? How long are you in the hospital and how does it play out? Jake (32:37) Yeah, so I arrived in in the hospital in in Sudbury and I was there for for a few days so ⁓ yeah, I was there for a few days and in that time my My ⁓ my wife and ⁓ one of my good friends one of our children there They managed to come and see me and from what they say I was incoherent at the time So I guess I was still able to talk ⁓ but what was coming out of me was a lot of garbled nonsense. I’ve seen some of your guests say, I thought I was saying, can you please hand me my bag and I need you to bring, and all that was coming out was sort of, blah, blah, blah, blah, like it wasn’t making any sense at all. ⁓ So I was in there for days. And once they had me stabilized in ⁓ Sudbury, Ontario, they decided to transfer me and I had my choice between a couple of different towns. So I would say that by the 25th, 24th, 25th, I was stabilized and I was heading to Sudbury on the 25th. ⁓ Once I arrived in Sudbury, I think I was visited, ⁓ by my folks and my wife and kids. And then I was sent to Timmins, Ontario for my actual recovery. So it was pretty fast. I had the stroke on the 21st and by the 26th, I was in Timmins where I’d spend the rest of my ⁓ recovery time. Bill (34:27) How did they deal with leaking blood vessel? Jake (34:30) ⁓ They didn’t. So they had determined that they were going to probably do a surgery. When they were taking me into the hospital, they had told me that there was a ⁓ brain hemorrhage, ⁓ that it was leaking, that they were going to be monitoring it, that it would be likely there would be a surgery, and that I should probably be be prepared not to make it through. ⁓ So I guess, you know, they gave me some hope. I mean, they told me that we can hope for the best, but they were quite honest with me at the time in saying you might be going for the rest of your life ⁓ wearing diapers or unable to talk. ⁓ And it’s quite probable that you might not make it out of this. Uh, so they monitored it and they continued to bring me while I was in the Sudbury for scans and they continued to monitor the situation. Um, but they didn’t do any surgery. So, uh, I was put on medications to bring the blood pressure down, to keep the blood pressure down. And, uh, and I was placed on those while I was in, in hospital. And I continued to. recover all the way through August. And by the end of August, I had come back home. ⁓ while I was in hospital, I was only visited twice because it was far away from, from my home. And, ⁓ I’m honestly, Bill, I’m glad. ⁓ I was really happy. I was able to see my, my, my wife and kids by phone, obviously, you know, the wonders of modern technology. ⁓ but I was left with a lot of time on my own to reflect and I was left with a lot of time on my own to get better. you know, one of the things I decided once I got to the hospital was I’m not going to spend any time in the lounge. I’m not going to spend any of the time with the other patients who are ⁓ in here, nothing against them or anything like that. But the very first thing I did, was I started to try and find more information about what exactly happened to me and ⁓ what are my chances of getting better and what gives me the best chances. And what I came up with was I had better start working on my recovery immediately. yeah, so one of the very first things that I did is I got my notebook into me. notebook, got pencils, I got a pencil sharpener, I got one of those, ⁓ you know, hand gripper ⁓ exercise, you know, for your hands. ⁓ And I got a razor blade, and I got my wife and kids to bring in a hair trimmer. And I decided that no matter how long it was going to take me to shave, I was going to do that on my own. no matter how long I thought I’m in here, I don’t have anything else to do today. If it’s going to take me all day to cut my hair and shave my face, I’m going to do that. ⁓ If it takes me all day to do the, write the alphabet down, I’m going to get through that. And I went from again, ⁓ scribbles from just scribbles and barely being able to hold onto the pencil to, ⁓ by the time I left the hospital, I was writing in perfect cursive. Attitude Towards Recovery Bill (38:22) Yeah, that’s brilliant. I love that attitude. That attitude is probably ⁓ something that holds people in very, like creates a great outcomes for people, regardless of how much the stroke has affected them, regardless of how bad their deficits are, you know, regardless of what version of stroke they caught, they, they had to experience. And this is what I was doing when I was in rehab as well. So I did the same thing when I came back from hospital. So My first stay, I came back and we were on the internet checking, you know, is a blade in the brain? What is all this stuff? What does it all mean? Trying to get some answers. The second time, ⁓ six weeks later, I was searching for what kind of food should I be eating? If I’ve had a stroke, what should I be avoiding, et cetera? That was pretty cool to find out and learn, wow, there is actually a protocol that you can ⁓ take that supports your brain health instead of one. that doesn’t support your brain health. So that was pretty awesome. And then ⁓ in rehab, I was searching YouTube for videos about neuroplasticity. was searching videos for ⁓ anything that had to do with recovery of a neurological challenge, et cetera. And it was just way better than being ⁓ sort of worrying about my own situation and focusing on me like. internalizing it, you know, I was externalizing it and becoming proactive and I found, ⁓ and I found some great meditations. So I’m lying there. I can’t walk. I’m very sleepy. I need to sleep most of the time because I’m exhausted from all of the rehab. I’ll put on a meditation and just let it do its thing in the background while I was healing, resting, you know, recuperating. ⁓ so I think that approach just changes the way that your body responds as well because your body wants to step up to the plate. If you set an intention, we’re going through the healing process, this is the path that we’re gonna take, the body follows. If you go through the other part, if you take the different path and go, well, things are not going good for us, we’re doing it really tough, we’re feeling sorry for ourselves, we’re not gonna put any extra effort in. the body’s going to go, no, I’m listening. I’ll do exactly what you want. And you get the results that, that your intention has set. Right. So I think that’s brilliant. The way that you went about that and not interacting with other people. kind of get that too, because it can bring you down. Like seeing other people doing it hard can bring you down. And also ⁓ sometimes other people’s attitudes can rub off as well. And they can bring you down if They’re feeling bad about this situation and you don’t want to be around people who are going to ruin your vibe. Doesn’t matter who they are or where they are. Jake (41:27) Right. And one thing that where I think the hospitals and doctors and therapy where I think they really let us down is something that I believe it was on one of your podcasts and someone talking about neuroplasticity is that when we do something for therapy, we should be doing it thousands of times. We shouldn’t be doing it a few times. I think where we’re let down is like, ⁓ for instance, I went for my physiotherapy today and I find it helpful and I definitely do go, I would recommend it to anybody. But we will do each of these exercises 10 times. Do this 10 times, do this 10 times, do this 10 times. But what we’re failing to see is that, you know, To really make those connections, need to do things hundreds or thousands of times. ⁓ I have a, know, a, for instance, for you, you know, I mentioned the writing. So a place where I have an incredible block is, ⁓ I will go to try and begin something, particularly where I’m going to write something down and I’ll have the intention of writing one thing and something different will come. So, I would try and begin a word with the letter T and instead of beginning by going up and then straight down and crossing my T, instead I’m doing a loop like it’s an L. So in order to, you know, retrain, sort of get that, get that connection made, to go and start doing words that begin with the letter T. Bill (43:17) I have Jake (43:24) and a lot of times, mean like thousands of times before I could sit down and write a letter T. if people are feeling like they’re not getting anywhere or it’s not coming along for them and they are doing the exercises, I would say don’t give up and do them more. Don’t give up and do them less, do them more. Bill (43:33) Wow. Jake (43:53) ⁓ If you’re going to be doing something like walking, if you’re finding that difficult, then I think maybe if you walked around the block on Tuesday, go another 10 steps further and do that for the following week and always just keep adding to it because it does get better. And I don’t know about you, do you find Bill like I know one of your recent guests mentioned that it was a challenge for him to deal with how non-linear the recovery is. And I think that only hearing that from other people allowed me to accept that. Because a lot of the time I’ll feel like I’m doing great and things are incredibly better. And then maybe I have a week where I’m doing in respects, I’m doing worse than I was when I was in hospital. And I think that that’s really hard to deal with. you have that too, or did you find that? The non-linear kind of feeling? Yeah. Bill (44:55) Indeed, and then what happens four months, five months, six months, 10 months, is you start seeing the pattern and the pattern is, okay, I’ve made some inroads, okay, here’s the quiet time or the downtime coming and then you feel better about it because it’s not a big deal. You see the pattern and you notice it and it’s less frustrating because that’s actually, it appears as though you’re doing nothing to your head. Your head might be going, oh, I’m not doing anything. Long-Term Recovery and Reflection sitting on my butt, I’m not able to get through a day of physical exertion or anything like that. I must be going backwards. Well, in fact, your body’s just doing a different version of recovery and it looks different. It looks still and it looks silent and it looks fatigued, but it isn’t going backwards. It’s just a different phase and it needs all of it. You need to do that silent, still, quiet, fatigued resting one. And then you need to do the one which is to whatever extent you can, full on, full out, doing too much, going too far, ⁓ over-exerting yourself. And they kind of, you can’t have one without the other. You have to have them both. And ⁓ if you understand that, then you don’t get anxious or upset about it or bothered about it. And you start playing the long game. You stop focusing on today, I didn’t have a lot of effort, but… If I reflect on my last six months or nine months, there was maybe only seven days that I was really low or didn’t feel great. The rest were better days or I felt okay or whatever it was. if you start playing when you’re only four months out, it’s hard to play the long game. But when you get to a year or 12 months out, you look back and reflect, you can see that majority of what you were doing was getting. outcomes that were favorable and therefore, you know, and therefore you can sort of be okay with the quiet days, rest, the rest of all those. I used to go to loud events, whether they were a concert, a family event, a party, wedding, whatever. If they were long drawn out days, I would have to plan for the next day to be completely a write off, nothing on the calendar. No going anywhere, seeing anybody, doing anything so that I could rest properly and get my brain back online so that I could have a good day, the third day, you know? And that’s how we did it for many, many years. And I remember one time when the shift came, when I said to my wife, I am not doing anything tomorrow. You make sure that whatever you do, you do without me. You’re going to go and do your thing, but I’m not going to be involved. And then waking up in the morning and going, hey, I feel fantastic. What are we doing today? And she’s like, I didn’t plan for you, but okay. ⁓ let’s get the ball rolling on something. So we did something minor, but it was more than nothing. And that was my, okay. My moment of things are shifting and I’m able to recover overnight with a good night’s sleep quicker than I was. doing previously. Jake (48:19) That’s great. That’s great. Yeah. A lot of this, I really appreciate talking to you and I appreciate hearing your guests who have been at this a lot longer than I have. ⁓ I’m incredibly encouraged by how well I’ve done so far, but it’s also, there’s a lot of questions. ⁓ For instance, I’m in this stage where I don’t know, Bill, if I’m going to make it back to the same job as I was doing before, don’t know whether it’s reasonable to think that. Right now I’m doing, you know, going through all the steps that I need to go through and doing all the evaluations that I need to do. ⁓ But I’m not sure what the outcome is going to be. And that’s a little bit hard because I’m, you know, like most people who are entrepreneurs or, you know, have large families, we like to have an element of control, you know, with things. So it’s been hard to just sort of sit back here and not know what’s coming along. As far as work goes, I don’t know. Luckily, you know, I have a building here where I do own the building and I do have commercial space downstairs. So maybe I have the option to now use that space for myself. And ⁓ maybe I’ll have to be, maybe I’ll be forced to go back into. entrepreneurship and open my own business. Maybe going back to work ⁓ is not the path for me. We’ll have to wait and see. Bill (49:56) It will emerge. You’ll get a sense of it. I had ⁓ three years where I worked for another organization and it was a completely different field and they were, the role was a very entry level administrative role. Very, we’re talking a role that would probably be replaced by AI now. ⁓ So we, I was doing that for three years and what was good about planning and trying to get back to that level of effort and work was that it served a purpose. And part of the purpose was talking to people, traveling, ⁓ doing work on the computer. It was retraining me as I was getting comfortable with the role, getting used to traveling, getting back to being in loud environments, et cetera. So it was difficult, was tiresome, it was challenging, but it was… kind of like its own therapy. And when it served its purpose after three years, I was done. I just said, okay, I’m out of here. going back to running my own business again. And I’ll be, I’ll do that as slowly or at my own pace in any other way that I can so that ⁓ I create the whole, all the rules around the amount of hours that I attend, the type of work that I take on. You know, so if I was too tired to work the following week, I would just tell my clients I’m busy for a week and I can book you in two weeks down the road, you know. So that was what was good about going back to my business. And also what was good about going back to a job for somebody else because their expectations, you know, working for a corporation, the expectations are far lower than the ones that we put on ourselves when we’re working. for ourselves. So I know some people think working for a corporation is really stressful and all that kind of stuff. And it probably is. No. But I mean, I was barely working six hours a day. Whereas working for myself six hours a day that the day’s just starting, you six hours. You haven’t even hit lunchtime yet. So it’s interesting to think about work and how ⁓ and how you can use it as a therapy. Jake (52:23) It is well, I mean the difference for me is that I was actually in that role that you’re explaining right now when I had the stroke so I I’d gone through a whole bunch of very difficult things in Hong Kong and upon coming back here to Canada, I was almost feeling like I I had a lot of stress going on and I had a lot of things that I needed to sort out and ⁓ there was a lot of things that we need to settle with the kids. There was all sorts of stuff that needed to be done. So the job that I was working was actually, it was already fulfilling that role that you explained. I was having that less responsibility. was going in for a specific amount of hours that they were letting me know. So that was exactly it. was an administration job, but it was really not close to the amount of responsibility that I was used to having. ironically, now that this has happened to me, it might be the amount of control that I have over the amount of worked that might be an advantage after going to stroke. I’d be interested to see or to hear more about ⁓ how people deal with the change that comes with the different type of work they might be forced into, forced out of, and how they deal with that. Because I think that a lot of people deal with, ⁓ they think of their employment or they deal with their life in this sort of way, like people often ask, especially in Asia. What do you do? The first thing that people do if you’re in Hong Kong is they hand you a business card. They call it a name card there. And the very first thing that you do when you meet somebody before you even speak is you hand them the card and you each examine each other’s cards. So this idea of like, what I do is who I am. And I, and I think that when you have something like this happen to you often what you do must change. when you’re identifying with what you do, you’re sort of declaring that as your title, who you are, I would imagine that’s pretty tough. Luckily, I wasn’t tied to Federal Express, thankfully. Work and Identity Post-Stroke Bill (55:00) Yeah, I hear you. is, people will work as a lawyer for 20 years or 30 years, have a stroke, and then it’s like, well, who am I now? What am I now? And that’s the challenge with working and identifying as the work that you do. know, those days are gone in theory. You know, you don’t get named John lawyer anymore. You don’t get named John banker. anymore, you you don’t get the your surname from the occupation that you do back in the day, you know, Baker, carpenter, plumber, you know, all those people, they were their entire job, they did it for 3040 5060 years, that was what they did. And then when they couldn’t work anymore, well, they still identified as john plumber, because they had the name, the name was given to them or John Carpenter or whomever. The thing about it is now with jobs being so ⁓ not long term anymore, you get a job or you go to a particular employer and then two, three years you’re in another role or another title, et cetera, ⁓ or you’ve moved up the corporate ladder, et cetera. Well, if you’ve never even done that, if you’ve only ever worked and you haven’t explored your interests, ⁓ hiking, walking, running, playing ball, ⁓ becoming a poker player, ⁓ whatever, whatever it is other than my job, you’re very, it’s understandable that it’s very narrow how you can explain to somebody how you occupy your time. Like what do you do? Well, I do plumbing, but I also do poker. ⁓ I do this, but I also do that. I’m that guy. Like when you ask me, sometimes I will literally be in a painting outfit, not so often now, but my painting clothes, and then I’ll take them off and I’ll sit in front of the computer and I’ll record a podcast episode. And then at the end of the day, I’ll be doing a presentation somewhere, speaking publicly on a particular topic at the moment. My favorite topic is post-traumatic growth. When somebody asks me, what do you do? If they know me, they know I do podcasting. They know I do painting. They know I do speaking. They know I’ve written a book. ⁓ they know all these things about me. If they don’t know me, depending on which room I’m in, I’m a podcaster. If I’m in one room, I’m an author. If I’m in another room, if I’m in another room, I’m a painter and so on. And what that allows me to do is. not be tied down to my entire existence being about only one thing, because I think that would be boring as, and I would hate to be the guy that only knows something about painting, how to paint the wall fantastically. mean, great, maybe, but not really rewarding, and not a lot of ⁓ spiritual and existential growth in painting a wall. I solve a problem for you, but I haven’t gained anything. other than money for me. It’s not really, you know, it’s not my cup of tea anymore. Now I get to have a podcast, I get to make way less money out of a podcast episode and yet reach hundreds and thousands of people and feel really amazing about that. And what that does is that fills up my cup. That allows me to fill up my cup on the down days where I’m not earning a living. And then it allows me to go earn a living. and then not feel like all I’m doing is working and going through the maze all day every day and just being on the constant cycle of the boredom and the sameness and all that kind of stuff. So I sprinkle a little bit of this and that into my life so that I don’t have ⁓ the same day twice because I can’t cope with the same day three times. Twice is a real bad sign for me. If there’s a third day coming, that’s gonna be the same as yesterday. I’m not up for that, I don’t want to know about it. Jake (59:21) Right. Well, that also helps with your recovery. I think like, as you say, you do a lot of different things and that helps a lot. Right. So, you know, one, for instance, is, know, the, of the first things I started to think of when I was in the hospital in Sudbury and thinking of getting home is my gosh, it’s going to start getting cold soon. Winter’s going to hit. And I really have to start getting that wood all stacked. Right. So So, you know, here I am, I’m benefiting from it now. I burn wood all winter, but, ⁓ you know, I spent a lot of my rehab ⁓ stacking wood. And I mean, that’s incredibly great physiotherapy, right? Whether you’re stacking wood or like you said, you made me think when you’re talking about painting, I’m thinking about like the karate kid, right? Like with wax on wax on paint on, this is the kind of stuff that gets you out of one particular mold. And with your brain sort of like focused on recovering in one single area, you can recover in all these different areas. And I think they contribute to like a big picture of your recovery. Bill (1:00:34) I agree with that. It’s exactly right. It’s you know standing on the ladder which I do less of these days because I Felt off about a year and a half ago. So standing on the ladder and Getting down the ladder holding a paint can and applying paint ⁓ Putting drop shades down and picking up tubs of paint, you know ⁓ That whole every part of that physical activity is using a different part of the brain. Writing a book, even if it’s only 10 minutes a day, writing half a page or 10 paragraphs or whatever it is, that uses a different part of the brain. ⁓ Public speaking, that trains and uses a different part of the brain. Everything that I do definitely kind of helps to rewire the brain in many, different ways and supports my ongoing recovery and… ⁓ is and the idea behind it amongst other things, the idea behind it from a neurological kind of perspective is that it activates more of the brain. The more of the brain that’s activated, the more chance you are of creating new neuronal pathways and having ⁓ more options for healing or recovery. And then it works emotionally for me, it works mentally for me. Do you know, so I get… the emotional fitness and the mental fitness out of it. Speaking on the podcast, meeting people gives back. you know, that serves my, I need to serve other people purpose. Do you know, like, it’s just so much, everyone ⁓ who knows me kind of knows that I wear a lot of hats. I kind of. I kind of like, I do it. I show people like when they’re saying, what are you up to today? I’ve been wearing a lot of hats today. And if I’m not wearing a hat, like I pretend that I put another one off or just took one off when I’m sitting with them or talking with them. It’s crazy how many things I do. And about the only hat I would prefer not to wear right now is I prefer to put the painting hat down. and just hand that over to somebody else and just go, I think that part of my life’s done and I’ll move on to other things. Jake (1:02:57) If you don’t mind, have one, there’s one more thing that right now that I’d like to mention just before I forget. Is that all right? All right. All right. So the only other thing, the thing that I’ve been dealing with myself and I don’t know how many people deal with it or don’t deal with it. I know that not everybody does. don’t, I deal with a lot of post, uh, post stroke pain. So while I don’t have Bill (1:03:04) Yeah, of course. Jake (1:03:25) ⁓ the misfortune of losing use of my feet or losing use of my hand. I mean, it’s limited. do therapy, but I’m able to use my hands. I’m able to write and all this. But coming along with that is an incredible amount of ⁓ burning, tingling ⁓ sort of ⁓ feelings like there is ⁓ almost like the, know, if you can think of newspapers when they’re delivered in a bundle and they’ve got this kind of plastic strapping around it. ⁓ It’s usually it’s yellow, you know, this sort of plastic strapping. I feel often like that is wrapped around my arms, like it’s wrapped around my leg. I deal with a lot of this kind of stuff, unfortunately. So again, I mean, I’m not going to sit here and whine about it because again, ⁓ I can walk, I can do all the things that I need to do and I’d rather have that than what I do. But I’m wondering if it’s really common for a lot of people to have this, you know, post stroke pain. Bill (1:04:44) If 10 was the worst pain you’ve ever experienced in your life, that’s like we’re talking about 10 is somebody’s cut your limb off ⁓ and one is no pain at all. Like where would the pain be for you? Jake (1:05:00) Well, thankfully, again, thankfully ⁓ I’ve had some progress in this. So when I first came to, when I was first starting to get all the feeling back, ⁓ I started to notice that some feeling wasn’t coming back. But while I was in the hospital, I was on quite a lot of medication. So I was on some pretty heavy painkillers. ⁓ I think hydro-morphone, things like this. And I came off of those when I was coming home and a lot of the feelings started coming back. I would say that some days and at some times that pain can be what I would say maybe it’s a 12 out of 10. Like it’s bad. at some points I’ve been left doing nothing but be able to just really just sit there and cry. I’m going to be honest with you. And the pain could be quite severe. Now luckily those days are few and far between. It’s not all the time. ⁓ And here’s the deal. The thing that’s very strange with the post stroke pain or the intensity of it is that it’s like going to sleep or it’s like the start of a new day, the beginning of a new day is like a reset button’s been hit. So for instance, I could wake up on a Monday and I could be hit with the worst pain that I’ve ever had in my life. It feels literally like I’m being hit with a taser gun on the right side of my body and that while somebody’s hitting it with the taser gun, they’ve lit my hand on fire. And, ⁓ And then the very next day after I’ve gone to sleep, I woke up and I’ve had the rest. I wake up almost scared to move because for me, sort of when I wake up and I haven’t moved yet, it’s almost like nothing’s happened to me. It’s like I wake up and I don’t know that I’m numb. don’t know that I’m in pain. don’t know that all this is going on. And then I start to move and sometimes I can sit there and feel a relief. Think, wow. There’s nothing severe going on. This is pretty good and it’s going to be a great day. Or sometimes I can be struck with a type of debilitating pain that I can’t even describe. Yeah. Pain Management and Coping Strategies Bill (1:07:34) Well, what you’re describing is very common. I know a lot of people going through post stroke pain. ⁓ It is a thing. I have a very minor version of exactly the thing that you described about how the tightness and things wrapped around ⁓ your hand, like the newspaper. that’s kind of what I feel on my left side, the whole left side all the time and the burning and tingling sensation all the time. And okay, on my worst days, these days, like it’s probably, you know, I know, it’s probably a four and a terrible one would be a five, but it doesn’t get there much. And what I’ve noticed is that the, either I’ve become more tolerant of it or my my pain has decreased in my awareness. Like I’m aware of the fact that my limb is in the state that it’s in. And sometimes I’ll go to get a massage to get the muscles loo

Toxins, chemicals, environmental exposure... How much is too much, how much should we worry, who should be concerned? The goal isn't to be afraid, but to understand how this fits into IBS management - listen to this episode of The Gut Show to learn more about TILT theory without going down a fear-based rabbit hole.   Mentioned in this episode: MASTER Method Membership FREE IBS Warrior Summit Take the quiz: What's your poop personality? MCAS episode   Thank you to our partners: mBIOTA is the next generation of the elemental diet. Developed with leading gastroenterologists and food scientists, it's the first formula that's both clinically effective and genuinely easy to drink. Pure, easily absorbed nutrients are essential, but the mBIOTA difference is in the details: from their proprietary Amino Taste Modification Technology (ATMT), to their fully vegan and gluten-free ingredients, mBIOTA provides balanced daily nutrition backed by science.  The result is a game-changing medical-grade formula that helps restore GI function in patients with SIBO, IMO, IBS, Crohn's, EoE and more. Learn more at mbiota.com and save 20% off their 2 week protocol with the code GUTIVATE.   FODZYME is the world's first enzyme supplement specialized to target FODMAPs. When sprinkled on or mixed with high-FODMAP meals, FODZYME's novel patent-pending enzyme blend breaks down fructan, GOS and lactose before they can trigger bloating, gas and other digestive issues.  With FODZYME, enjoy garlic, onion, wheat, brussels sprouts, beans, dairy and more — worry free! Discover the power of FODZYME's digestive enzyme blend and eat the foods you love and miss. Visit fodzyme.com and save 20% off your first order with code THEGUTSHOW. One use per customer.   ModifyHealth is the leader in evidence-based, medically-tailored meal delivery offering Monash Certified low FODMAP, Gluten free, and Mediterranean meals - expertly crafted to help you achieve better symptom control AND improve overall health.  The best part? They make it easy by doing all prep work for you. Simply choose the meals you want, stock your fridge or freezer when meals arrive at your door, then heat and enjoy when you're ready. Delicious meals. Less stress. Complete peace of mind. Check out modifyhealth.com and save 35% off your first order plus free shipping across the US with code: THEGUTSHOW.   Connect with Erin Judge, RD:  Instagram TikTok Work with Erin FREE symptom tracker

Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we're diving into a series of transformative events reshaping the industry landscape, from regulatory advancements to scientific breakthroughs and strategic business maneuvers.Kicking off with a significant regulatory update, the FDA's Rare Pediatric Disease Voucher Program has been rejuvenated through a newly signed government funding bill. This initiative is designed to expedite the development of treatments for rare pediatric diseases, offering crucial incentives to companies targeting this critical healthcare segment. By reauthorizing this program, there's an expectation of stimulating innovation and potentially bringing more treatments to market for conditions with limited existing therapies. This move underscores a broader commitment to addressing unmet medical needs through incentivized innovation.Turning to corporate developments, Eli Lilly is anticipating substantial growth in revenue despite facing pricing pressures on its key products, Mounjaro and Zepbound. The company projects revenues between $80 billion and $83 billion for 2026, marking a 25% increase from 2025 at the midpoint. This growth is attributed to strong product performance and strategic maneuvers within their pipeline. Eli Lilly has also made strategic decisions by optimizing its pipeline through dropping three clinical-stage drugs, including a gene therapy acquired via Prevail Therapeutics. This move points towards Lilly's focus on concentrating efforts on more promising candidates within their expansive pipeline. Additionally, Eli Lilly is expanding its GLP-1 franchise beyond metabolic diseases into immunology and inflammation with ongoing clinical trials in conditions such as asthma, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. This strategic expansion could lead to novel therapeutic options for chronic inflammatory diseases.Similarly, Bristol Myers Squibb is focusing on new growth drivers amid declining sales of legacy drugs. With $48.2 billion in revenue projected for 2025 largely stemming from newer products, BMS is strategically repositioning itself to maintain momentum amidst market changes.Novartis faces its largest patent expiry challenge but remains optimistic about its trajectory. CEO Vas Narasimhan suggests robust strategies are in place to counteract these patent expiries, indicating a strong focus on innovation and strategic planning to navigate these hurdles. Novartis is also refining its oncology strategy by cutting early-stage cancer candidates while adding new ones focused on promising therapeutics—a broader trend of adopting data-driven approaches to streamline drug development pipelines.Meanwhile, AbbVie continues its stronghold in the inflammatory bowel disease market with its blockbuster immunology drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq. These products significantly contribute to AbbVie's $61.1 billion revenue, highlighting their commitment to maintaining leadership in immunology despite competitive pressures from rivals like Johnson & Johnson.Astellas has exceeded expectations with its cancer drug Vyloy overcoming a trial setback to quadruple sales in the third quarter fiscal year 2025 results. This success underscores the resilience and potential of innovative oncology treatments even when faced with clinical challenges.In financial markets, Veradermics successfully raised $256 million through its IPO, signaling strong investor interest in biotech firms with promising dermatological applications. Concurrently, Eikon Therapeutics marked the largest biotech IPO since 2024 with a $381 million listing on Nasdaq, reflecting renewed investor confidence in biotech ventures. Industry trends indicate a resurgence of interest in public markets exemplified by Eikon Therapeutics' upsized IPO alongside Veradermics' successful Support the show

Today, I interview Shelly Grimm, who reflects on growing up alongside chronic illness and learning, from a very young age, how to take care of herself and others.Much of Shelly's childhood unfolded in hospitals, financial strain, and ongoing uncertainty. She learned how to manage, decide, and keep going without much protection or guidance. Confidence developed through necessity. Speaking up was less about expression and more about making sure life continued to function.As the conversation unfolds, Shelly starts to recognize how much of her strength came from necessity. Naming this brings a new awareness to the cost of always having to handle things alone, and how that shaped her confidence and voice.Today, Shelly's work supports caregivers and families navigating long-term illness and responsibility. In this conversation, we explore how voice and confidence can form through lived experience, and what becomes possible when those early patterns are finally seen and understood.__________________Shelly Grimm is the founder of The Perpetual Caregiver Collective, a national movement dedicated to supporting caregivers and those living with chronic illness through compassion, financial clarity, and renewal.A former insurance executive with 27 years of experience in financial consulting, Shelly blends her professional expertise with deeply personal experience. Her mother was the first woman in the United States diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 1956, an event that shaped Shelly's lifelong empathy for those facing chronic illness and the families who care for them.She is the author of her debut memoir Some Asses Just Need Wiping and the upcoming sequel Some Loves Just Need Leaving, part of her Some Just Need… book series. Shelly has been featured on Fox Business, Bloomberg, and Tom Hegna's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, and was named by MSN as one of the Top 10 Most Inspirational Women to Follow in 2025.Her work through The Perpetual Caregiver Collective bridges the gap between practical financial preparedness and emotional well-being, ensuring no caregiver—or care recipient—ever feels unseen or unsupported.__________________Find Shelly here:www.linkedin/in/shellygrimm/www.facebook.com/theperpetualcaregiver/www.instagram.com/perpetualcaregiver/Support the showI'm Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.

Welcome to the Pinkleton Pull-Aside Podcast. On this podcast, let's step aside from our busy lives to have fun, fascinating life-giving conversation with inspiring authors, pastors, sports personalities and other influencers, leaders and followers. Sit back, grab some coffee, or head down the road and let's get the good and the gold from today's guest. Our host is Jeff Pinkleton, Executive Director of the Gathering of the Miami Valley, where their mission is to connect men to men, and men to God. You can reach Jeff at GatheringMV.org or find him on Facebook at The Gathering of the Miami Valley.Amy Seiffert is an author, speaker, pastor, wife, and co-ringmaster to her circus of three kids. She grew up listening to the clamorous keys of her father's typewriter. Writing, humor, puns, rhymes, and communication were just a regular part of her life.Having loved and studied literature and writing in high school and college—once Amy was introduced to Jesus—the Bible became her favorite text to explore. She joined staff with Cru at BGSU after graduating college and began teaching and speaking about God's word regularly.  Through many face plants and mud slides in Amy's life, God opened doors to begin to write books and to travel and speak, inviting others to discover grace in their daily lives. She is attending Denver Seminary pursuing a Masters In Biblical and Theological Studies. Amy is also one of the pastors at Soma City Church in Toledo, OH. Her family has walked through infertility, depression, anxiety, a Crohn's disease diagnosis, an ADHD diagnosis, and several other valleys and mountain tops. As they keep walking whatever path God has them on next, her hope is to use humor and storytelling to anchor them in the truth that God is with us, for us, in us, and working through us.

Join Liz Cruz M.D. and Tina Nunziato, Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, as they continue their GI Focus series on Tortuous Colon.  Learn what a tortuous colon is and why if you have one there is nothing you can do about it.  Find out how Dr. Cruz approaches a tortuous colon when she is scoping.  Learn potential symptoms that come from having a tortuous colon and the more natural approach to addressing those symptoms. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/i42uCKABD-MDr. Cruz is a Board Certified Gastroenterologist who practices in Phoenix, AZ. Along with her wife Tina Nunziato, a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, they have helped tens of thousands of individuals get well from a more holistic standpoint. They focus on issues such as constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, heartburn, gas, bloating, food sensitivities, IBS, Crohn's disease, and diverticulitis in addition to a person's general overall health. They do this by teaching about real food, water, digestive enzymes, probiotics, detox, greens, electrolytes, food sensitivity testing, and so much more. If you're struggling with finding the answers to your issues, tired of not feeling well, and sick of taking over the counter and prescription medicines, schedule a FREE 30 minute phone consult at www.drlizcruz.com.For more information visit www.digestthispodcast.com or www.drlizcruz.com. Enjoy the show! Dr. Liz Cruz and Tina Nunziato, CHNC

Discover the five scientifically-backed root causes driving autoimmune disorders that traditional medicine overlooks. From vitamin D deficiency and gut damage to hidden infections, antioxidant depletion, and chronic stress—learn the framework for understanding what's really happening in your body and where to start your healing journey. (494 characters) SEO Keyword: root causes of autoimmune disorders FEATURED PRODUCT Zen – Bovine Adrenal Support When your body is battling an autoimmune disorder, your adrenal glands are working overtime to produce cortisol and combat inflammation. Zen features bovine adrenal gland extracts designed to support adrenal function, helping your body manage stress responses and maintain energy levels—critical factors when addressing the chronic stress patterns that contribute to autoimmune development and flare-ups discussed in this episode.

103. For years, Karen was dedicated to her career and travel, waiting for the right moment and the right person. When she finally met Jason in her early 40s, they assumed their path to parenthood would require clinical intervention or adoption. But just as they were planning their future, a "Crohn's flare-up" turned out to be a life-changing surprise: a spontaneous pregnancy at age 46.In this episode, Karen shares the shock of her "die stealer" pregnancy test and why she was firm about not being a pregnant bride, choosing to separate her wedding from her journey to motherhood. We dive into her experience navigating a teaching hospital, the "peanut gallery" of residents, and how she learned to advocate for her own rest during a grueling three-day induction. Karen also discusses her "mindful minutes" in the classroom and the bittersweet transition of surrendering the life she knew for the "miracle" daughter she waited so long to meet.Get the resources, transcript and more information about this episode:https://over40fabulousandpregnant.com/episode103/Shop the Show

The vagus nerve, also known as the Great Nerve, connects the brain to all parts of the body, like an internet (Figure below). Every week we're learning more about its importance for health and disease. Until recent years the brain and immune system were thought to be in separate “firewalled” compartments. But that turned out to be far from the truth.Dr. Kevin Tracey, who directs the Feinstein Institute at Northwell Health, has been studying the vagus nerve for more than 3 decades. In the early 1990's he made the seminal observation that stimulating the vagus reduces the inflammatory cytokine known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), what he described at the time as a “holy s**t” moment. In 2025 he published the book THE GREAT NERVE with many rich patient anecdotes and the history for how this field developed.I wrote about the brain-immune axis previously on Ground Truths, spotlighting the vagus nerve's role. That included much more on depth of the pathways if you are interested.We discussed the recent FDA July approval for refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA)(unresponsive to medications or intolerance to medical therapy) based on a sham-controlled randomized trial published in December 2025 in Nature Medicine. It is striking that the benefits were derived from 1 minute of vagal stimulation per day. That stimulation is barely perceived (tingling, many not at all) by device recipients. The surgery takes one hour to implant the tiny stimulator device along side the vagus nerve in the neck. But this is much bigger than a treatment for RA. It is now being tested for lupus, Crohn's disease, and other autoimmune conditions. That's beyond the role vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has played for epilepsy and depression, independent of VNS's anti-inflammatory impact (Tracey named it “the inflammatory reflex”).We also discussed handheld VNS devices, potential use for Long Covid and POTS, cold plunges, heart rate variability, stress, and other topics related to the vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system (the brakes, “rest and digest” as opposed to the sympathetic nervous system (the gas, “fight or flight”).Most people are not aware of this device approved treatment for an autoimmune disease. Our treatments are so drug-centric but they are immunosuppressive, have important side-effects, and are expensive. It's good to see a non-drug approach get compelling data as an alternative. Moreover, as I recently wrote about, there's a shift ongoing from treatment to cures vs autoimmune diseases that will be adding to the mix.Here are some very recent papers about the vagus nerve to give you a sense about how its prominence is getting appreciated more all the timeGut-brain-vagus axis for reward circuit and addiction, 30 Jan 2026, Science AdvancesRandomized trial of VNS for depression , Int J of Neuropsychopharm 2026 The vagus nerve role in heart function after a heart attack, Cell, February 2026Vagus receptors and hemorrhage, blood volume, Nature, 28 Jan 2026A Quick PollThank you Harshi Peiris, Ph.D., Tay MacIntyre, David Dansereau, MSPT, Max Manwaring-Mueller, RJ, and over 600 others for tuning into my live video with Kevin J. Tracey, MD! Join me for my next live video with Robert Wachter Feb 4th, 12:30 PM PT in the app.**********************************************Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (approaching 200,000) from every US state and 210 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join!If you found this interesting PLEASE share it!Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don't hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered.Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026. Get full access to Ground Truths at erictopol.substack.com/subscribe

After hitting a 120-pound "lowest point" at age 26 and facing emergency colon surgery, Dane Johnson explains how the failure of conventional medicine became the necessary curriculum for his transformation from a bedridden patient into a man on a mission. Alongside Dr. Crawford, he discusses the dangers of "Magic Protocol Syndrome" and the vital necessity of transitioning from a victim to the CEO of your own health. A key takeaway is that shifting your internal identity must occur before you can truly change your biology, as healing requires divorcing yourself from standard Western medical thinking to build a customized, evolving lifestyle.The conversation further explores the neurobiology of gratitude, emphasizing that you must "get happy before you get healthy" to move the body out of a sympathetic stress state. This shift allows the parasympathetic system to begin repairing the gut, a process Dane supports through his "SHIELD" acronym and the concept of "Food Philosophy," which involves assessing dietary risks in real-time. Ultimately, the episode reveals that the discipline required to heal a chronic illness is the exact same foundation needed for extraordinary success in life, proving that growth—whether in health or business—is a lifelong journey of seeking 1% improvements every day.ResourcesUnlimited Power by Tony RobbinsAwaken the Giant Within by Tony RobbinsBreaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe DispenzaSupergut by Dr. William DavisThe Maker's Diet by Jordan RubinBreaking the Vicious Cycle (SCD - Specific Carbohydrate Diet) by Elaine GottschallCCLifestyle Shield Program: https://crohnscolitislifestyle.mykajabi.com/shieldprogram?el=websiteProducts 528 Innovations Lasers NeuroSolution Full Spectrum CBD NeuroSolution Broad Spectrum CBD NeuroSolution Stimpod STEMREGEN® Learn MoreFor more information, resources, and podcast episodes, visit https://tinyurl.com/3ppwdfpm

In today's episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast, Maggie sits down with chef and cookbook author Emily Maxon, whose newest book Real Food, Every Day was born out of a life-changing health journey. Emily is a trained chef and lifelong food lover who, at age 28, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. That diagnosis led her to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet — a rigorous way of eating designed to support gut health and healing. Drawing on her years of experience as a chef and caterer, Emily made it her mission to create recipes that not only met the diet's strict guidelines but also tasted wonderful and helped people feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally. How Emily's personal health challenges became the catalyst for creating her cookbook Real Food, Every Day • What it was like navigating the journey from cookbook idea to published book • Lessons Emily learned along the way about writing and publishing a cookbook rooted in real-life experience • Practical tips for aspiring cookbook authors on turning personal stories into strong cookbook concepts • How to stay motivated through the long (and rewarding) process of writing and publishing a cookbook If you've ever wondered how a personal challenge can become the foundation for a meaningful cookbook, or how chefs and food experts can turn their expertise into a published book, this episode is full of inspiration and insight. Things We Mention In This Episode: Emily's Fresh KitchenAgainst All Grain 

Join Liz Cruz M.D. and Tina Nunziato, Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, as they discuss what they learned about the Cruz Family Legacy on their recent trip to Puerto Rico.  Learn about the museum that was created to remember Dr. Cruz's grandparents and how the extended family has memorialized their 20 children.  Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XCNVd2xApmMDr. Cruz is a Board Certified Gastroenterologist who practices in Phoenix, AZ. Along with her wife Tina Nunziato, a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, they have helped tens of thousands of individuals get well from a more holistic standpoint. They focus on issues such as constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, heartburn, gas, bloating, food sensitivities, IBS, Crohn's disease, and diverticulitis in addition to a person's general overall health. They do this by teaching about real food, water, digestive enzymes, probiotics, detox, greens, electrolytes, food sensitivity testing, and so much more. If you're struggling with finding the answers to your issues, tired of not feeling well, and sick of taking over the counter and prescription medicines, schedule a FREE 30 minute phone consult at www.drlizcruz.com.For more information visit www.digestthispodcast.com or www.drlizcruz.com. Enjoy the show! Dr. Liz Cruz and Tina Nunziato, CHNC

From Men's Health cover to severe malnutrition on death-door's in a year, Dane Johnson has had a true pain to purpose story. Now he is on a mission to heal guts around the world using methods he knows from experience with himself and thousands of others actually work. Dane works on the mind and heart as much as the gut, emphasizing that if you are not prepared to be the CEO of your health and dance in the rain, true transformation will elude you and your gut.Dane Johnson is the founder of  CrohnsColitisLifestyle inspired by his life-threatening battle with Crohn's/Colitis, which he reversed using natural practice. As a Board Certified Nutritionist and one of the most successful Crohn's/Colitis coaches in the world, he has helped thousands around the world find their unique answer to IBD while building a community of supporters, doctors and healers!Get your FREE 1 HOUR IBD consultation here:https://cclpresentation.com/ibd-relief-special-podcast?source=MadetoThrive&el=MadetoThriveAnd your complimentary Healing Journal here:https://healingjournal.crohnscolitislifestyle.com?el=MadetoThriveContact:Website - https://crohnscolitislifestyle.comInstagram - @danejohnson1 Join us as we explore:Everything stomach and gut related - Chron's, colitis, IBS, IBD and real life pain to purpose gastrointestinal stories.Symptoms specific to either IBD, IBS, Chron's or colitis. Dane Johnson's powerful pain to purpose story, proving that no matter how sick your gut gets there is a way back.Why “dancing in the rain” is the foundation of your success.Dane's best preventative measures to keep your gut healthy.Mentions:Test - Vibrant Wellness Gut Zoomer, https://vibrant-wellness.com/tests/gut-health/gut-zoomerTest - Total Toxin Burden Test,  https://vibrant-wellness.com/tests/toxins/total-tox-burdenCommunity - IBD University, https://www.ibduniversityinc.org Product - JASPR, https://jaspr.coSupport the showFollow Steve's socials: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTokSupport the show on Patreon:As much as we love doing it, there are costs involved and any contribution will allow us to keep going and keep finding the best guests in the world to share their health expertise with you. I'd be grateful and feel so blessed by your support: https://www.patreon.com/MadeToThriveShowSend me a WhatsApp to +27 64 871 0308. Disclaimer: Please see the link for our disclaimer policy for all of our content: https://madetothrive.co.za/terms-and-conditions-and-privacy-policy/

Wat honderd jaar geleden nog ondenkbaar was, is nu voor sommige mensen de enige manier om dóór te leven: het vervangen van een orgaan. Voor NRC-redacteur Jeroen van der Kris werd die realiteit een aantal jaar geleden heel concreet, toen hij zelf een nieuwe lever kreeg. Wat begon als een ingrijpende medische gebeurtenis, groeide uit tot een fascinatie voor dit vaak onderschatte orgaan - en voor alles wat nodig is om een transplantatie mogelijk te maken. Hoe is het om te blijven leven dankzij de orgaandonatie van iemand anders? Hoe zijn we op het punt gekomen dat zo'n ingreep mogelijk is? En wat zegt de wetenschap van vandaag over de toekomst van orgaantransplantatie?Gast: Jeroen van der Kris, Sander VoormolenPresentatie: Gemma VenhuizenRedactie & montage: Liz DautzenbergShownotes:In deze aflevering wordt het boek Het aanbod van Jeroen van der Kris besprokenOok de aflevering ‘Even ergens heen': waarom ik pas na 39 jaar met mijn moeder over haar darmziekte praatte, over leven met de chronische darmziektes colitis ulcerosa en de ziekte van Crohn, komt even voorbij.Zie het privacybeleid op https://art19.com/privacy en de privacyverklaring van Californië op https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.comAbbie sits down with Meg Bowman, a nutritionist who works at the intersection of mental health, trauma, and nutrition, to explore how our lived experiences—especially chronic illness and trauma—shape our relationship with food and our bodies.Meg shares her own story of being diagnosed with Crohn's disease, how it led her to a career change from PR to nutrition, and what she's learned from working with clients who live with trauma, mental health conditions, and digestive issues. This is a conversation that unpacks the deeply human side of nourishment—why it's not just about what we eat, but about how safe we feel while eating.More of what you'll hear:* How trauma and chronic stress affect digestion and inflammation* Why nervous system regulation is an essential (and underrated) part of nutrition* The difference between physical and psychological restriction* How self-blame and shame can trigger survival responses in the body (and make eating so hard!)* The illusion of control that dieting and food rules can offer—and why it's really about safety* What “messages of safety” look like in real life (hint: regular, balanced meals count!)* Why so many primary care visits are actually related to stress and trauma* How to approach food when living with chronic illness without falling into restrictionMeg also shares her refreshing, realistic take on healing—one that doesn't romanticize “perfect eating,” but instead honors the nervous system, lived experience, and the body's need for both nourishment and compassion.More about Meg and her book: https://www.megbowmannutrition.com/body-on-trauma-bookSupport the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe Apply for Abbie's Group Membership:Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group Social media:Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcastFind Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroyPodcast Editing by Brian WaltersThis podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Feeling midlife blah? Fatigued, washed out? Wellness coach Amber Berger works with women who say they've dulled from vibrant to “beige.” As founder of The Well Drop, she guided women to reclaim vitality without overwhelm. After tackling Crohn's disease at 14 through food and lifestyle changes, Amber discovered the compounding power of small, daily actions to boost overall health. Learn how to simplify wellness (no 10-step routines), explore the health tech like infrared therapy that Amber swears by, and discover how continuous glucose monitors can help make you smarter about your metabolic health. Let's keep midlife colorful, beauties! FOLLOW A CERTAIN AGE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GET INBOX INSPO: Sign up for our newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AGE BOLDLY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We share new episodes, giveaways, links we love, and midlife resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a bitesize episode of 'The insuleoin Podcast - Redefining Diabetes'. Each week we'll take a look back into the archive of episodes and get you to think and reflective once more about some of the things we've learned over the past few years. This week's episode is taken from our Diabetes Awareness Month's 30x30 series. To hear the full episode check out episode #192: Dealing With The Reality Of Crohn's Disease & Type 1 Diabetes, with Lucas Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stress, trauma, and nutrition are often treated like separate issues but what if they're all part of the same conversation? In this episode of Adulting with ADHD, Sarah sits down with licensed nutritionist and author Meg Bowman to explore how the nervous system and nutrition are deeply connected, especially for adults with ADHD. Meg shares how her own Crohn's diagnosis led her into the world of mental health nutrition, and why supporting the nervous system is just as important as choosing the "right" foods. Together, they unpack how stress and trauma shape the body's relationship with food, why consistency can feel extra hard with ADHD, and how nutrition can become a source of safety rather than another area of pressure or shame. This conversation offers a compassionate reframe: instead of asking "What should I be eating?", we can start asking "What helps my body feel safe enough to eat?" In this episode, we talk about: How the nervous system and digestion influence each other Why fear, stress, and trauma can shut down hunger cues What polyvagal theory has to do with food and regulation Why traditional nutrition advice often doesn't work for ADHD brains How visibility, simplicity, and support can make eating easier The idea of "taking care of future you" with low-effort planning How community and shared executive function can reduce decision fatigue Meg also shares insights from her book, This Is Your Body on Trauma, including: How trauma shows up in the body as inflammation Why chronic stress is linked to long-term health conditions A framework for understanding food, gut health, stress, and mental health together How to build a personal nutrition toolkit that feels supportive instead of restrictive If food feels complicated, overwhelming, or emotionally loaded, this episode offers a gentler way forward, one that centers safety, nervous system regulation, and self-compassion instead of perfection. Resources mentioned: This Is Your Body on Trauma by Meg Bowman Meg's Substack: Nutrition Needs Nuance Meg's website: megbowmannutrition.com  

Eating five or more servings of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) a day nearly doubles your risk of developing Crohn's disease Additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, and artificial sweeteners found in ultraprocessed foods break down the gut's protective mucus barrier and fuel chronic inflammation High intake of UPFs is linked to changes in gut bacteria that reduce diversity and promote the growth of harmful strains associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare-ups Common UPFs like white bread, frozen meals, sauces, and breakfast cereals show the strongest links to increased Crohn's risk Removing seed oils, emulsifiers, and UPF-heavy meals while focusing on gut-repairing whole foods can help reduce flare frequency and support long-term healing

Nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses the important relationship between gut health and bone health. Leyla delves into the ways gastrointestinal disorders like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome can lead to osteoporosis and increased fracture risks. She explains how chronic inflammation, malabsorption, and dysbiosis are common underlying causes of bone loss. Leyla also reviews scientific studies on the link between the gut microbiome and bone mass, highlighting the potential of fecal microbiome transplants as future treatments for osteoporosis.

In this episode of the Service Business Mastery Podcast, host Tersh Blissett sits down with Ari Meisel, Founder of Less Doing and creator of the Optimize, Automate, Outsource framework. Ari is a globally recognized expert in business automation, productivity systems, and operational efficiency, with deep hands-on experience in the construction and skilled trades. Ari shares how extreme burnout and a Crohn's disease diagnosis forced him to redesign how he worked, leading to a system that allowed him to reclaim time, reduce stress, and build a business that runs without constant owner involvement. This conversation dives deep into automation for service businesses, decision-making systems, and what it really means to become a replaceable founder. In this episode, you'll learn: How to identify automation opportunities in your service business Why automating decisions is more powerful than automating tasks The "Replaceable Founder" mindset every business owner needs How automation reduces stress and increases scalability Real-world systems for reclaiming time without sacrificing growth If you're an HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or home service business owner feeling stuck in daily operations, this episode breaks down practical automation strategies, how to identify repetitive work, and how small system changes compound into massive time freedom. Timestamps ⏰ [00:00] "Ari's Impact on Email Automation" [06:15] "Masonry, Hardship, and Health Struggles" [07:25] "Optimize, Automate, Outsource Strategies" [12:32] Building Sustainable Generational Businesses [15:45] "Optimize, Automate, Outsource Effectively" [19:43] "Prioritizing Revenue in Business" [22:24] "Automation Enhances the Human Element" [25:52] "Asynchronous Communication Explained" [29:20] "Benefits of Solo Voice Recording" [30:46] "Creativity Comes with Movement" [36:38] Flexible Work Beyond Boundaries [39:12] iPhone Screenshot Automation Exploration [41:32] "Apps I've Used for Years" [46:54] Building Apps and Voice AI [47:38] "Switching to MEM AI Tools" [52:05] "Retirement via Automation Skills" [54:53] "Connect with Ari for Insights" Follow the Host and Guest: Tersh Blissett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/ Josh Crouch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-crouch/ Ari Meisel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/productivity-coach-entrepreneur/   Connect with us on: • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/service-business-mastery • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@servicebusinessmastery • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/servicebusinessmasterypodcast • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/servicebusinessmasterypodcast This episode is kindly sponsored by: UpFrog CallRail CompanyCam Visit CompanyCam and use code SBM for a free 2-week trial, 1:1 training and account setup, and 50% off your first two months! MarketStorm priceguide Learn how to automate tasks, save time, and increase your profit. No coding required!

This week, Dr. Kahn dives into four new research papers on omega-3 fatty acids and their impact on heart and brain health. The discussion highlights several eye-opening findings, including reduced atrial fibrillation risk and improved cardiovascular outcomes in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Dr. Kahn also explains how omega-3 intake supports brain health and why the "right" dose depends on the specific condition being addressed. Food sources, fish oil, algae-based supplements, and ahiflower are compared as practical ways to reach optimal omega-3 levels.  Additional topics in this episode include newly approved AI software for early detection of heart disease, the role of statins in patients with type 2 diabetes, the science—and hype—around NAD+ boosters, and emerging data on Prolon fasting for Crohn's disease. Dr. Kahn also reviews concerning research on heart rhythm risks associated with high-intensity endurance exercise in athletes over the age of 50. As always, the episode blends cutting-edge research with real-world clinical insight to help clarify what actually matters for long-term heart health. Thanks to The Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club — get a bottle for $1 at getfreshDRKAHN.com.  More About This Episode This episode takes a deeper look at why omega-3 blood levels matter more than simply taking a supplement. Dr. Kahn reviews large population studies linking higher omega-3 levels to lower risks of atrial fibrillation, early-onset dementia, and major cardiovascular events, including in high-risk groups such as patients on hemodialysis. The key takeaway: testing omega-3 status and personalizing intake may be far more effective than a one-size-fits-all approach.  Beyond omega-3s, Dr. Kahn explores several timely and surprising topics, including AI-enhanced CT scan technology designed to detect silent heart disease without additional radiation, real-world data on statin benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes, and why costly NAD+ supplements may ultimately function as a form of vitamin B3. The episode also examines new evidence on fasting-mimicking diets for Crohn's disease and potential heart rhythm risks in high-level endurance athletes over 50. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Kahn emphasizes practical, evidence-based steps patients can review with their physicians, including omega-3 blood testing, coronary calcium scoring, and tailoring lifestyle and supplement strategies to individual risk factors.

Have you ever wondered how to find the root cause of your gut issues like IBS, Crohn's, colitis or diverticulitis?  This episode is actually a recording from a discovery call I did with a brand new client who thought her ulcerative colitis was caused by covid but this was lightyears from the whole story and all it took was some carefully placed questions to uncover the reason she got sick to begin with.   TOPICS DISCUSSED: How you get bowel diseases The real root cause Undertanding your own history and the layers that led to a disease manifesting   Leave us a Review: https://www.reversablepod.com/review   Need help with your gut? Visit my website gutsolution.ca to join a program: Get help now   Contact us: reversablepod.com/tips    FIND ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram  Facebook  YouTube

Is your gut health holding you back? On this episode, Guy Daniels tackles Crohn's Disease - from immune system secrets to the truth about fiber, prebiotics and the gut bacteria that really matter to help you get into remission for life. Lindsey Parsons, your host, helps clients solve gut issues and reverse autoimmune disease naturally. Take her quiz to see which stool or functional medicine test will help you find out what's wrong. She's a Certified Health Coach at High Desert Health in Tucson, Arizona. She coaches clients locally and nationwide. You can also follow Lindsey on Facebook, Tiktok, Instagram, Pinterest or X or reach her via email at lindsey@highdeserthealthcoaching.com to set up your free 30-minute Gut Healing Breakthrough Session. Show Notes

You’re intelligent, Self-aware and you know how to articulate exactly why they don’t serve you.So why can’t you stop? Why do you still reach for your phone at 6pm instead of being present? Why do you say yes when you mean no? Why do you start fights to avoid what’s really bothering you? Why do you organise the pantry for the tenth time instead of sitting with yourself? In this honest and open conversation, psychologist Jacquie Ward and I dismantle everything you thought you knew about self-sabotage. Spoiler: it doesn’t actually exist. In This Episode We Explore:The Midlife Reckoning ∙ Why turning 40 hits different (and it’s not just about the number) ∙ The grief of bigger kids and the season shift nobody prepares you for ∙ The known spike in maternal depression when all kids start school - and why it happens ∙ “If not now, then when?” - the delicious freedom and anxiety of finite timeWhat Self-Sabotage Actually Is ∙ Why “self-sabotage” is really maladaptive self-soothing (and why this reframe changes everything) ∙ The behaviors smart women reach for: phone scrolling, conflict-seeking, over-functioning, food, hypervigilance ∙ Starting fights to avoid inner conflict - the pattern nobody talks about ∙ How we use “acceptable” addictions to numb out (and why they’re so accessible)The Patterns Keeping You Stuck ∙ “I’m self-reflective, not always self-aware” - why you can intellectualize everything but still can’t change ∙ The mental load makes better choices practically impossible sometimes ∙ Why you can’t selectively numb (what you’re losing when you disconnect from discomfort) ∙ People-pleasing: the hardest thing to let go of at 40Tiger Energy vs Swan Energy ∙ Why discipline culture and “tough love” keeps burning you out ∙ The masculine energy of Goggins-style motivation (and when it actually works vs when it destroys) ∙ “All tiger energy, zero swan energy” - which one are you? ∙ How to be goals-driven without being rigidThe Uncomfortable Work of Real Change ∙ Being able to tolerate discomfort is the skill of our generation ∙ Naming the feeling dissolves 80% of its power ∙ Why you can’t sit through a full-length movie (and what that’s really about) ∙ The practice: brain dump everything swirling in your head today - not Pinterest-worthy, just rawWhat Actually Works ∙ Why compassion beats discipline for sustainable change ∙ Understanding what’s driving the behavior underneath ∙ How Jacquie broke her pattern of using food to self-soothe (Magnums for breakfast, lolly stashes around the house, managing Crohn’s disease) ∙ The shift from self-contempt to curiosity. Jacquie Ward is a psychologist based in South Sydney who works with children, adolescents, and their families both in person and online. After the birth of her first child, a deep love of learning combined with a fascination for developmental psychology and attachment theory led her to pursue a complete career change. Almost 10 years, two more babies, and approximately 5,000 textbooks later, she found herself immersed in her dream job.For Jacquie, working with children, teens, and their families as they navigate challenges with mental health and wellbeing is the ultimate privilege. She’s also a mum of three (11, 9, and 5), married to her high school sweetheart Dave, and has lived the midlife transformation she talks about in this episode - from chronic people-pleasing and maladaptive coping to a softer, more sustainable way of being.Connect with Jacquie:Website: jacquieward.com.auInstagram: @jacquie_ward_https://www.instagram.com/sweat.chill.exhale?igsh=MWlvbTdib2pram9haA==If you want even more- head over to our subscriber only podcast https://apple.co/iamFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylielately?igsh=MW0xZGxmZXdqYmw2bQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Delanie Fischer chats with Dr. Michael Greger, physician, New York Times bestselling author, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, about the impact of meat, dairy, and eggs from both industrialized and local sources on human health. They discuss hormones, antibiotics, contaminants, toxins, and disease-causing pathogens commonly found in animal products, as well as how animal flesh, breast milk, and reproductive cells themselves affect health independent of these factors. Episode Highlights:  Why Cow's Milk is Linked to Shorter Lifespan & Infertility  Combat the World's #1 Killer with 1 Simple Swap The Soy Controversy: 20+ Years of Data Demystified 2 Essential Tips for Cancer Survivors Protein & Calcium Choices: Baggage vs Benefits Swap 3% of This for a 20% Longer Life 1 in 5 of These at Grocery Stores Test Positive for Salmonella Ummm What's the Deal with Rotten Egg Farts?! Have a health question? Check out the search engine at https://nutritionfacts.org/ ____ A quick 5-star rating means a ton! ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-helpless/id1251196416⁠ Free goodies like The Quote Buffet + The Docs & Books List: ⁠https://www.selfhelplesspodcast.com/⁠ Ad-free episodes (audio & video) now on ⁠Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/selfhelpless⁠ Your Host, Delanie Fischer:⁠ https://www.delaniefischer.com⁠ ____ Related Episodes: Heal Your Gut, Change Your Life: Insights on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis & Everyday Digestive Issues with Dane Johnson: https://www.delaniefischer.com/selfhelplesspodcast/episode/1ac8b40e/heal-your-gut-change-your-life-insights-on-inflammatory-bowel-disease-ibd-irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs-crohns-ulcerative-colitis-and-everyday-digestive-issues-with-dane-johnson Rethinking Alcohol: Mommy Wine Culture, Daddy Beer Culture, and More with Suzanne Warye: https://www.delaniefischer.com/selfhelplesspodcast/episode/1be0c2c8/rethinking-alcohol-mommy-wine-culture-daddy-beer-culture-and-more-with-suzanne-warye The Shocking Ingredients in Menstrual Products: Toxic Truths, Safe Alternatives, and the Future of Period Care with Arielle Loupos: https://www.delaniefischer.com/selfhelplesspodcast/episode/2bd21fe3/the-shocking-ingredients-in-menstrual-products-toxic-truths-safe-alternatives-and-the-future-of-period-care-with-arielle-loupos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is PCOS, how does it overlap with IBS, and what can you do about it? Join me and our guest Cory Ruth as we break down all of the above and more! Cory Ruth is a registered dietitian nutritionist and women's health expert who specializes in PCOS and nutrition therapy for infertility and assisted reproductive technology. She is the founder and principal of The Women's Dietitian.   PCOS Is My Power: The first complete guide to thriving with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), offering a science-backed, holistic path to managing symptoms, plus 68 recipes and 6 meal plans.   In this episode, we cover: Meet Cory 3:13 What is PCOS? 4:17 What have you been focused on? 7:01 Why does it take so long to get a diagnosis? 8:59 IBS + PCOS overlap 12:17 Inflammation 14:30 Treating PCOS 20:26  GLP-1s 23:27 How do diet and lifestyle modifications help? 25:15 Biggest myths 30:02 PCOS is my power 32:45  Connect with Cory 36:58    Thank you to our partners:  mBIOTA is the next generation of the elemental diet. Developed with leading gastroenterologists and food scientists, it's the first formula that's both clinically effective and genuinely easy to drink. Pure, easily absorbed nutrients are essential, but the mBIOTA difference is in the details: from their proprietary Amino Taste Modification Technology (ATMT), to their fully vegan and gluten-free ingredients, mBIOTA provides balanced daily nutrition backed by science.  The result is a game-changing medical-grade formula that helps restore GI function in patients with SIBO, IMO, IBS, Crohn's, EoE and more. Learn more at mbiota.com and save 20% off their 2 week protocol with the code GUTIVATE.   FODZYME is the world's first enzyme supplement specialized to target FODMAPs. When sprinkled on or mixed with high-FODMAP meals, FODZYME's novel patent-pending enzyme blend breaks down fructan, GOS and lactose before they can trigger bloating, gas and other digestive issues.  With FODZYME, enjoy garlic, onion, wheat, brussels sprouts, beans, dairy and more — worry free! Discover the power of FODZYME's digestive enzyme blend and eat the foods you love and miss. Visit fodzyme.com and save 20% off your first order with code THEGUTSHOW. One use per customer.   ModifyHealth is the leader in evidence-based, medically-tailored meal delivery offering Monash Certified low FODMAP, Gluten free, and Mediterranean meals - expertly crafted to help you achieve better symptom control AND improve overall health.  The best part? They make it easy by doing all prep work for you. Simply choose the meals you want, stock your fridge or freezer when meals arrive at your door, then heat and enjoy when you're ready. Delicious meals. Less stress. Complete peace of mind. Check out modifyhealth.com and save 35% off your first order plus free shipping across the US with code: THEGUTSHOW.   Connect with Erin Judge, RD:  Instagram TikTok Work with Erin FREE symptom tracker    

HEALTH NEWS   Can exercise turn back the clock on your brain? New study says yes Why leaving things unfinished messes with your mind Short-term, calorie-restrictive diet improves Crohn's disease symptoms Higher daylight exposure improves cognitive performance, study finds Breastfeeding may lower mums' later life depression/anxiety risks for up to 10 years after pregnancy     Can exercise turn back the clock on your brain? New study says yes AdventHealth Research Institute, January 13 2026 (Eurekalert) A simple, steady exercise routine may help your brain stay biologically younger, supporting clearer thinking, stronger memory, and a greater sense of whole-person well-being.   The study found that adults who followed a year-long aerobic exercise program had brains that appeared nearly a year “younger” than those who didn't change their activity levels.   Published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, the study explored whether regular aerobic exercise could slow, or even reverse “brain age,” a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based biomarker of how old your brain looks compared to your actual age. A higher brain-predicted age difference (brain-PAD), indicates an older-appearing brain and has been linked to poorer physical and cognitive function and increased risk of mortality in previous research.  In this clinical trial, 130 healthy adults aged 26–58 were randomly assigned to either a moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise group or a usual-care control group. The exercise group completed two supervised 60-minute sessions per week in a laboratory plus home-based exercise to reach about 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week, aligning with the American College of Sports Medicine's physical activity guidelines. Brain MRI and cardiorespiratory fitness, measured as peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), were assessed at the beginning and end of the 12-month period.  Over 12 months, participants in the exercise group showed a measurable reduction in brain age, while the control group showed a slight increase. On average, the exercise group's brain-PAD decreased by about 0.6 years, indicating a younger-appearing brain at follow-up. In contrast, the control group's brains appeared about 0.35 years older, a change that was not statistically significant. Overall, the between-group difference in brain age was nearly one year, favoring the exercise group.     Why leaving things unfinished messes with your mind Yale University, January 12 2026 (Medical Xpress) In a new study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Yale professor of psychology Brian Scholl and lab members explored why humans so badly want to finish what we've started—in matters great and small. It turns out the brain just doesn't like dangling threads. The researchers had a hunch that visual clues could help explain the lure of the unfinished. Why is this state of leaving things undone so salient to us? It's an interesting quirk of human nature that science has not previously addressed. Unfinishedness has been found to decrease work satisfaction, impair sleep, and fuel ruminative thinking patterns. The researchers turned to the visual system. When we see unfinished events, are they somehow prioritized in memory?" To test their hunch that visual memory plays a role in making unfinishedness feel so sticky, the researchers ran four experiments involving a total of 120 participants who viewed computer animations of simple mazes populated by moving dots or lines. In several experiments, it seemed that the brain is wired to notice and remember incomplete things better than finished ones. The findings suggest that "unfinishedness" isn't just about motivation or satisfaction. It's built into the way people see and remember the world.   Short-term, calorie-restrictive diet improves Crohn's disease symptoms     Stanford University, January 13 2026 (News-Medical)   There have been few large studies of dietary interventions for IBD, a group of disorders that includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Now a Stanford Medicine-led study finds a short-term, calorie-restrictive diet significantly improved symptoms. Their national, randomized controlled clinical trial found that a short-term, calorie-restrictive diet significantly improved both physical symptoms and biological indicators of mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease. A chronic condition affecting about a million Americans, Crohn's disease causes inflammation in the digestive tract, leading to symptoms of diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and weight loss. Steroids are the only approved therapeutic for mild Crohn's, but their use is limited due to significant side effects, particularly with long-term use. The study compared the symptoms and biological indicators of patients with mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease as they either followed a fasting mimicking diet or ate their normal diet for three consecutive months. The study enrolled 97 patients across the country, with 65 in the fasting mimicking group and 32 in the control group. Participants in the fasting mimicking group severely limited their calories for five consecutive days per month, eating between about 700 and 1,100 calories a day. Plant-based meals were provided during the fasting period. For the remainder of the month, the fasting mimicking group ate their normal diet. At the end of the study, two-thirds of the fasting mimicking group experienced improvement in their symptoms. The researchers found a significant decline in fecal calprotectin, a protein in the stool that indicates gut inflammation, in the fasting mimicking group compared with the control group. Some inflammation-promoting lipid mediators derived from fatty acids also declined in fasting mimicking group participants. Similarly, the immune cells of fasting mimicking group participants produced fewer of several types of inflammatory molecules.   Higher daylight exposure improves cognitive performance, study finds University of Manchester (UK), January 12 2026 (Medical Xpress) A real world study led by University of Manchester neuroscientists has shown that higher daytime light exposure positively influences different aspects of cognition. The first study of its kind showed that stable light exposure across a week and uninterrupted exposure during a day had similar effects. Participants in the study experienced improved subjective sleepiness, the ability to maintain focused attention and 7-10% faster reaction speeds under bright light when compared to recent dim conditions. Compared with their peers who went to bed later, participants with earlier bedtimes tended to be both more reliably wakeful under bright morning light and sleepy under dimmer evening light. Being exposed to bright, stable daytime light was linked to enhanced and more sustained attention in a visual search task in which participants were asked to find a specific target on a page. Higher daytime light exposure and fewer switches between light and dark were linked to improved cognitive performance. And higher daytime light exposure and earlier estimated bedtimes were also associated with stronger relationships between recent light exposure and subjective sleepiness. However, neither the time of day nor time awake significantly impacted cognitive performance; the effect of light was stronger than the effect of time of day.   Breastfeeding may lower mums' later life depression/anxiety risks for up to 10 years after pregnancy University College Dublin (Ireland), January 8 2026 (Eurekalert)   Breastfeeding may lower mothers' later life risks of depression and anxiety for up to 10 years after pregnancy, suggest the findings of a small observational study, published in the open access journal BMJ Open. The observed associations were apparent for any, exclusive, and cumulative (at least 12  months) breastfeeding, the study shows. The researchers tracked the breastfeeding behaviour and health of 168 second time mothers who were originally part of the ROLO Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study for 10 years.   At the check-ups, the mothers provided information on: whether they had ever breastfed or expressed milk for 1 day or more; total number of weeks of exclusive breastfeeding; total number of weeks of any breastfeeding; and cumulative periods of breastfeeding of less or more than 12 months.   The study concludes there may be a protective effect of successful breastfeeding on postpartum depression and anxiety, which in turn lowers the risk of maternal depression and anxiety in the longer term.

HEALTH NEWS   Can exercise turn back the clock on your brain? New study says yes Why leaving things unfinished messes with your mind Short-term, calorie-restrictive diet improves Crohn's disease symptoms Higher daylight exposure improves cognitive performance, study finds Breastfeeding may lower mums' later life depression/anxiety risks for up to 10 years after pregnancy  

This episode offers a practical, case-based overview of evaluating and managing anastomotic leaks in colorectal surgery. It highlights early clinical warning signs, optimal imaging, and a framework for choosing nonoperative versus operative strategies, including when to drain, divert, repair, or revise an anastomosis. The discussion also covers management considerations in diverted patients and those with Crohn's disease, as well as long-term issues such as chronic leak–related complications and planning for stoma reversal. Join Drs. Jared Hendren, Elissa Dabaghi, Joseph Trunzo, Ajaratu Keshinro, and David Rosen as they discuss this clinical challenge in colorectal surgery.Hosts: - Jared Hendren, MDο      Institution: Department of General Surgery, Digestive Disease Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio- Elissa Dabaghi, MDο      Institution: Department of General Surgery, Digestive Disease Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio- Joseph Trunzo, MDο      Institution: Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Digestive Disease Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohioο      Social Media Handle: X/Twitter @joseph_trunzo- Ajaratu Keshinro, MDο      Institution: Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Digestive Disease Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohioο      Social Media Handle: X/Twitter- @AJKesh-  David Rosen, MDο      Institution: Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Digestive Disease Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio- Social Media Handle: X/Twitter- @davidrrosenmdLearning Objectives: By the end of this episode, listeners will be able to: Assess postoperative changes that warrant imaging and/or intervention in suspected anastomotic leaks. Apply a structured decision-making approach to determine when nonoperative management, drainage, diversion, or operative intervention is most appropriate. Recognize key considerations in managing leaks in diverted patients and those with Crohn's disease, including long-term complications and factors influencing stoma reversal planning. Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.  If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://behindtheknife.org/listenBehind the Knife Premium:General Surgery Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/general-surgery-oral-board-reviewTrauma Surgery Video Atlas: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/trauma-surgery-video-atlasDominate Surgery: A High-Yield Guide to Your Surgery Clerkship: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/dominate-surgery-a-high-yield-guide-to-your-surgery-clerkshipDominate Surgery for APPs: A High-Yield Guide to Your Surgery Rotation: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/dominate-surgery-for-apps-a-high-yield-guide-to-your-surgery-rotationVascular Surgery Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/vascular-surgery-oral-board-audio-reviewColorectal Surgery Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/colorectal-surgery-oral-board-audio-reviewSurgical Oncology Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/surgical-oncology-oral-board-audio-reviewCardiothoracic Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/cardiothoracic-surgery-oral-board-audio-reviewDownload our App:Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/behind-the-knife/id1672420049Android/Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.btk.app&hl=en_US