EP 231: The Secrets to Healthy Sexuality: A Sex Therapist’s Insights with Rossana Sida

EP 231: The Secrets to Healthy Sexuality: A Sex Therapist’s Insights with Rossana Sida

  1. Why did you become a Sex therapist? What did you find so fascinating about it that you wanted to pursue it? 
  2. Looking at an article from Gitnux: 32% of people that watch porn believe their porn habits are problematic or addictive, 56% of divorce cases involve one party having an obsessive interest in porn. 
    • Have you seen a lot of cases of porn addiction? Why does it happen? 
      • Typically those who compulsively or habitually watch porn it is due to a feeling of loneliness, isolation, a feeling that they cannot be themselves around others, or that relationships with others drain them. They go to porn then to feel a part of something fun and pleasurable where they can just let their inhibitions go. 
        • So are they divorcing because of the porn watching, probably not. They are already feeling lonely and isolating themselves or looking for a nonjudgemental place to be themselves. That’s a couples issues. 
  3. Who struggles more with sex men or women? Why? 
    • They both have their own struggles. The most common struggles for men are erectile dysfunction, using porn more than they’d like, and wanting more or less sex than their partner. 
    • Women most commonly struggle with the impacts of sexual trauma, lack of pleasure in sex, painful sex, and mismatched desire for sex. 
    • My theory is that men are more focused on performance. 
    • What are the typical struggles or thoughts that men go through vs. women?  
      • Men = Performance due to expectations of what it is to be masculine, you’re not a man if you can’t get hard/want sex all the time/want to be more submissive in the bedroom, and able to become desirous for sex quickly or spontaneously
      • All men want is sex/ pressure to keep their men satisfied, only able to desire sex if the stars are aligned or it’s been a good day or after steps, responsive 
  4. Does bad sex lead to a bad relationship? 
    • Sex is a big part of any serious relationship and I’ve found that a lot of relationships and marriages fall off if there is a lack of sex. Phases/Seasons
    • Why do some couples have sex but then find it hard to talk about sex with each other? The world finds it hard to talk about sex, and that’s why. It is not normalized. No practice. Even in medical and therapeutic settings, it has been documented that unless a doctor specifically asks about sex, patients will not bring it up first. Also fear of judgment from partner
  5. How can women and men increase their libido or sexual drive? 
    • Men are focused on having peak testosterone levels and lots of times take supplements to promote it or even go on TRT.
      • Always good to check in with your doctor about hormone levels for both men and women if they’re experiencing a lack of desire, erectile issues, vaginal dryness, pain with sex.  
    • Is there anything you recommend for men and women to increase their sex drive? Supplements, sleep, exercise?
      • The basics of taking care of yourself, sleep, eating right, exercise, and if that is as good as it’s going to get then prioritizing and finding what it is you’re really looking for (touch, attention, etc.)
    • Can working the night shift affect it?
      • Absolutely, if partners are two ships passing in the night then their mindset will be in opposite places. Other than that, working the night shift people often lack sleep, sun, socialization with friends and all of these things can affect how sexy we feel. When we lack sleep our hormones don’t always have time to restore to their proper levels and so it can result in a lack of desire and erectile issues, less lubricating. 
  6. How does sex and the perception of sex affect people who have been sexually assaulted?
    • It looks different for everyone but some common themes are: Have a lot of sex so that they can feel like they are in control of their sex life and their body but what’s going on here is that they have the sex bc of underlying beliefs of lets beat them to the punch. OR they avoid sex, only have sex out of obligation or duty, or dissociate during sex. Or some people are just fine having sex within the context of a safe rx afterwards but they may have triggers pop up from time to time. 
    • What does the healing process look like?
      • Finding the person’s beliefs about the event, their fault, why it happened, how it has impacted their views of self, others, and the world (can’t trust anybody or questioning higher power) and working through each of those beliefs that are not helping them. 
    • Sex is such a big part of life, how does it affect relationships when someone is unable to have sex or is uncomfortable with it
      •  Partners begin to feel unloved, unattractive, unfulfilled
  7. Have you seen an increase in Non-Monogamy?
    • Can you explain a non-monogamous relationship? 
      •  Yes, there has been an increase in various types of non-monogamy 
        • Swingers: swap sexual partners
        • Open: sexual contact 
        • Polygamy: marriage with multiple 
        • Pulyamour: romantic relationships with others
        • Throuple/Triad: a monogamous relationship with more than 2

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/fmSnxfpaAv0 

https://www.instagram.com/togethernesstherapy/ 

EP 208: Headache and Migraine Relief with Jono Taves

EP 208: Headache and Migraine Relief with Jono Taves

EP 208: Headache and Migraine Relief with Jono Taves

Headaches or migraines can affect anyone. Blinding migraines can also stop someone in their tracks. And when it can’t be relieved, it can lead to a more serious condition. What headache and migraine relief can you do? Is there something you can do to relieve your headaches? 

We would like to introduce you to Dr. Jono Taves in this episode. Dr. Jono is the owner of Novera: Headache Center and host of The Headache Doctor Podcast.

He specializes in relieving headaches and migraines for patients who don’t get enough of what they need from traditional treatments. He believes everyone deserves a life free from intrusive pain and unwanted medication so that they can excel in everything they do.

We discuss the different types of headaches, why you’re getting them, and how to relieve the pain. 

Questions for Our Guest

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

Looking forward to our conversation!

These are the questions you had in Calendly. We’ll go off your questions, and wherever else our conversation goes.

  1. Can you give us a little background about yourself and how you’ve gotten involved in pain relief, specifically headaches? 
  2. Is there a difference between a migraine and a headache? 
      • Different types of headaches?
  3. Are there any misconceptions about headaches? 
      • For example, some people think that only women get recurring headaches
  4. Can headaches or migraines cause any damage? Or are those pains a signal that there can be potential damage?  
  5. Where do headaches or migraines stem from? 
      • Are there multiple causes, or what can worsen them? Dehydration, stress, lack of sleep….
  6. How can migraine symptoms stem from the neck?
      • Is pressure being put on the spinal cord like in a pinched nerve? 
      • Is there an abnormality in the spinal column that causes head pains?
      • Does it have anything to do with the muscles around the neck?

7. Does the location of the pain play a role in what’s causing it and how to treat it? 

8. How do you treat migraine or headaches?

9. What tips or recommendations can people use to relieve their headaches or prevent them?

ENDING QUESTIONS

Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why? 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/noveraheadachecenter/?hl=en
https://www.noveraheadachecenter.com/
https://open.spotify.com/show/5ZTszj6q8MGsOQl9kMBXKW 

To rid yourself of your headaches and migraines, watch the full episode here 👇👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:44 About Dr. Jono Taves
05:57 Understanding the Difference Between Headache and Migraine
09:23 Anatomy of the Upper Neck and Its Relationship to Pain
15:51 Understanding the Causes of Neck Tension And How To Avoid It
18:57 The Link Between Muscle Tension and Headaches/Migraines
20:53 Sleep Position Recommendations for Neck Pain Relief
23:50 The Psycho-Emotional Impact Of Neck And Migraine Pain
27:10 Steps to Relieve Headache and Migraine
29:43 The Impact of Chronic Pain on the Brain
32:38 Headache Locations May Reveal Source Of Pain
36:27 Benefits of Neck Cracking in Physical Therapy
39:41 Using Joint Mobility To Alleviate Muscle Tension And Migraines
42:15 What a Session with Dr. Jono Looks Like
44:09 Tips For Preventing Migraines
47:54 Proper Neck Support Tips for Intubated Patients
50:52 Improving Sleep & Reducing Snoring Through Pain Relief
52:18 Wrapping up the show

EP 196: What is Sports Psychology With Sean O’Connor

EP 196: What is Sports Psychology With Sean O’Connor

What is Sports Psychology With Sean O’Connor

Sports psychology is a practical skill that helps address athletes’ optimal performance and well-being. How can this be used? And what do you know about sports psychology? 

Traumas and repressed emotions can affect us in the long run. Some of us can handle these emotions well, while others displace them, creating more trauma, stress, fear, anger, resentment, depression, and anxiety.

How can people heal from this? Is there a way to work through these feelings? 

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Sean O’Connor. Sean is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) at Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling in Scarsdale, NY.

He specializes in sports psychology and trauma-informed counseling to help adults and athletes overcome anger, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and stress. 

To treat his patients, he uses a combination of EMDR therapy, mindfulness, meditative science, polyvagal theory for nervous system regulation, and neurofeedback when working with clients.

Sean loves working with athletes and survivors of past trauma to help them heal from the past, love the present, and have hope for the future.

Questions for Our Guest

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

Looking forward to our conversation!

These are the questions you had in Calendly. We’ll go off your questions and wherever else our conversation goes.

  1. Can you give us a little background about yourself?

2. How did you get into Sports Psychology & what is sports psychology?

3. How do Athletes cultivate their identity? 

4. What does it take to improve your mental health?

  • What is the simplicity of happy living?
  • What are some common stigmas in mental health?

5. How does holistic health play a role in mental health?

6. What is the Polyvagal theory?

7. What is the problem with the age of information? 

8. Martial arts

ENDING QUESTIONS

Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why? 

Connect with Sean through his Instagram @peacefullivingcounseling Or visit their website at https://www.peacefullivingmentalhealthcounseling.com/. 

Do you want to know more about sports psychology? Click here for more 👇👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
02:11 About Sean O’Connor
08:41 What is the language of an Athlete
12:13 The most frequent problems that athletes face
15:35 What transpires when an athlete leaves their sport
17:37 How to guide struggling athletes
22:34 What are the traits of an athlete
25:27 How to overcome extreme pressure and performance anxiety
30:38 How to communicate to a person who is tense and fearful
36:02 How important is physical health to mental health
40:16 How to recognize danger and when it exists
43:25 How our emotions make our consciousness
48:18 The negative impacts of the modern age of information
52:31 What makes EMDR more efficient
58:43 How martial arts enhance both mental and physical health
01:08:03 How martial arts foster self-control
01:11:45 The significance of a warm community
01:19:48 What separates an elite athlete from the rest
01:22:13 Wrapping up the show

EP 183: How to Optimize Your Body with Aidan Muir

EP 183: How to Optimize Your Body with Aidan Muir

How to Optimize Your Body with Aidan Muir

Optimize your body through nutrition and you will live longer and healthier. Our bodies are naturally amazing; we heal even if we experience trauma, injuries, or wounds.

We can go through some of the most grueling physical activities and can still recover within a few days. But to achieve all that, it would be best to take care of our bodies the best way we can. 

Athletes, in particular, are almost superhuman. They go through intense physical training and stress and experience brutal injuries.

But how do they stay healthy?

Are their bodies different from ours? Do they recover differently than us? 

Nurses also experience stress and physical exhaustion. We may not be athletes, but our bodies also go through all stress and trauma. Nutrition plays a big role in keeping up with our work.

It is why it is essential for us to stay fit and eat healthily.

Our Guest

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Aiden Muir. Aidan is a dietitian with a role split relatively evenly between seeing clients and creating content.

He has a broad range of areas of interest, but he mainly sees clients in sports nutrition (particularly strength athletes), weight loss, and gastrointestinal disorders.

We talk about gut health, how to build muscle, and how to optimize your body while working nights. 

QUESTIONS FOR GUEST

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

Looking forward to our conversation!

These are the questions you had in Calendly. We’ll go off your questions and wherever else our conversation goes.

  1. Can you give us a background about yourself?
    1. How did you get involved and find a passion for sports nutrition, weight loss, and gastrointestinal disorders?
  2. As a nutritionist, what kind of diet do you follow, and is there a specific reason(s) for it?
  3. How do you develop a good relationship with food?
  4. Are there different nutritional requirements for men and women?
    1. When it comes to fat loss, is it any different?
    2. When it comes to building muscle, is it any different?
    3. How do you find your metabolic rate? Is there a way to get a rough estimate without having to o through tests?
  5. Should people be eating at night?
    1. A good portion of our audience works the night shift. Should people eat throughout the night while working? Or should the day be limited to a particular hour?
      1. Does our body absorb food differently at night, or does it have different nutritional requirements?
    2. What foods do you recommend for someone who struggles not to eat a night?
      1. What foods, in general, do you recommend, and what should people avoid eating while working nights? 
  6. Do you think intermittent fasting is a good idea for someone that works nights?
    1. What is your general perspective on Intermittent fasting?
  7. When it comes to building muscle, what are some of the critical concepts of hypertrophy and nutrition?
    1. Do you believe in body recomposition, and what is the proper approach?
      1. Specifically, as someone that trains marital arts 4-5 times a week and weightlifters 3-4 times a week, how could I maximize my nutrition to not lose weight, gain muscle and lean out?
  8. Creatine, how much do you need to get a performance boost, and how consistently do you need to take it?
    1. Do you recommend any sports supplements?
  9. Gut health is a big trending topic; we know that specific hormones are derived from the gut, what is the key to a happy, healthy gut?
  10. There is a big push for everything plant-based. What is your opinion on meat? 
    1. Some studies show meat protein’s superiority over plant-based proteins. Is there a difference? 
    2. I’ve read studies stating that meat proteins are more bioavailable, digestible, and have higher anabolic potential than plant-based proteins.

ENDING QUESTIONS

Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why? 

Follow Aidan on Instagram for more tips and tricks so you can optimize your body at @aidan_the_dietitian and for online consultations @idealnutrition__.

You can also listen to his Podcast at The Ideal Nutrition Podcast  or visit his website at https://www.idealnutrition.com.au/ for more information.

Here’s why nutrition matters, click here and watch the full episode 👇

TIME STAMPS: 

00:00 Introduction
01:45 How did you get involved and find a passion for sports nutrition?
04:03 What types of diets have you experimented with?
04:31 How much protein can your body tolerate?
06:25 How to develop a proper relationship with food?
08:49 How do beliefs play a role in nutrition?
11:25 Difference in Marco nutrition between Males and Females
15:08 Nutrition for night shift workers
17:21 What snacks should you be consuming?
18:32 Outcomes of Intermittent fasting?
21:24 Muscle building and intermittent fasting
25:19 Muscular hypertrophy and body recomp
28:28 How to figure out your metabolic needs?
34:18 What should be on your plate for health and vitality?
37:10 Key to a healthy gut microbe
40:11 Supplement recommendations
42:04 What is creatine?
47:07 How long do results last from creatine?
48:47 Nutrition Do’s & Dont’s
52:47 Wrapping up the episode

 

 

EP 181: 7 Foods That Help Nurses Gain Energy During a 12-hour Shift

EP 181: 7 Foods That Help Nurses Gain Energy During a 12-hour Shift

7 Foods That Help Nurses Gain Energy During a 12-hour Shift

Our diet plays a big role in keeping our bodies in shape. As nurses, we owe our bodies healthy and nutritious food. When we eat a well-balanced diet, we have more energy to do our job.

It is why it’s best to know the 7 foods that help nurses gain energy during a 12-hour shift. Eating the right food will give you the best energy and avoid the stress that a 12-hour shift can give. 

In this episode, we will talk about the 7 best foods you can eat to keep up with your long shifts. We also had the chance to talk to Alandra Segoviano.

She is a writer for wellandgood.com and is interested in the lifestyle of a nurse.  She is curious about what foods we eat on shift and why.  So if you are as curious as her, then this episode is for you. 

Diet vs. Lifestyle

Temporary Diets don’t work. You must find the food you like to eat and eliminate all the processed stuff.

People see the results of diets because they just end up eliminating calories. Any diet will work if you just decrease the number of calories; everyone will find success in that. 

Intermittent fasting is beneficial, especially on nights. 

  • Working all night doesn’t mean you have to eat all night.
  • 16-8 is the one we usually do. We stop eating at midnight. 
  • Different associations with food. It becomes more of a fuel

Benefits of Intermittent fasting:

  1. Increases metabolism
  • In intermittent fasting, your metabolism does not decrease because fasting is short-term.
  • The way intermittent fasting indirectly boosts your metabolism is through norepinephrine. During acute starvation and short-term calorie negligence, your body increases norepinephrine levels. Norepinephrine causes an increase in the release of glucose. 

2. Immune function

  • Autophagy is the process of programmed cell death. It is also the ability to find damaged cells and destroy them.
  • On the immunological level, it is also breaking down white blood cells for resources to rebuild. White blood cells are a general term to associate all our immune cells. Our body naturally breaks down damaged cells and uses those components to create new mature white blood cells for the future.
  • Decreases oxidative stress and inflammation. Long-term effects of oxidation and inflammation increase the risks of developing cancer and other chronic diseases. A decrease in chronic disease, in turn, helps decrease the immune system’s workload.

3. Brain function

  • You take the work and time needed to consume food and put that effort into brain function and mental processing.
  • Increase a hormone called BDNF. Studies show that The chemical Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is decreased in depression and other brain issues. An increase in BDNF can make you feel better on a neurological level.
  • Builds self-control

4. Liquids 

  • You need to drink more water. This especially helps with hunger and craving. 

Food

Meat, including seafood – is simple, protein that keeps you fuller for longer. It’s the building block of life. 

  • Meat protein vs Plant-based
    • Research shows that meat protein 
      • Meat resulted in a more significant gain in whole-body net protein balance above baseline than the ounce equivalents of plant-based protein food sources. The improvement in whole-body net protein balance was due to increased protein synthesis with all the animal protein sources. In contrast, the egg and pork groups also suppressed protein breakdown compared to plant protein sources [1].
      • Steak, chicken, beef, pork, salmon, and shrimp. 

Fruits

    • Berries
      • Taste the best. Lower in calories and lower in carbs
  • Antioxidants
    • Help keep free radicals under control and helps decrease inflammation.
    • Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries have the highest antioxidant activity of commonly consumed fruits, next to pomegranates.

High in fiber

High nutrition content

      • Vitamins like C, minerals, Magnesium

Vegetables

  • The consistent vegetables we eat are mushrooms, potatoes (sweet and regular), onions, swiss chard, and greens.
  • Explore different vegetables and find ones you can consistently eat.
  • Basic building blocks for life. 
  • The primary source of all major vitamins and minerals for our body to function and present inflammation.

Greek yogurt and peanut butter

  • Unsweetened Greek yogurt with some fruits and granola
  • Great for gut support
      • Probiotics. Make sure it says Live and Active Cultures (LAC)
  • Bone and muscle health
      • Protein, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Oatmeal

    • Oatmeal with milk and butter, not water. 
    • Good source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. 
  • Beta-glucans
    • Beta-glucans have been tested to lower blood glucose concentrations and decrease hyperlipidemia and hypertension [2].
    • It might prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol from food. They might also stimulate the immune system by increasing chemicals that prevent infections.
      • Essentially helps neutrophils travel to the site of infection faster and improves their potential to eliminate the bacteria they find there.

RX Bars

  • 3 eggwhites
  • 6 almonds 
  • 4 cashews
  • 2 Dates 

Recently – easy-to-eat salads with meat, romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, sprouts, avocado, and red onion. 

Primal Kitchen dressings – Cleanest dressing, based on olive and avocado oils. All are healthy foods that help nurses last their 12-hour shifts.

Learn what foods you can eat during your long shifts by watching the full episode here 👇

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:44 Peters nightshift nurse life
03:42 Night shift eating pattern
06:44 What veggies and fruits for a nursing shift
10:09 Best protein powders
12:01 Water Intake as a nurse
16:21 Truth about dieting
17:34 Matt’s daily diet
19:55 Easy nursing snacks for nurses
24:05 How to prevent carb crashes and feeling tired
28:17 4 main food categories for good health
29:25 Avoid sugary foods at work
30:46 Caffeinate properly as a nurse
32:49 When do you get used to night shift?