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

by | Sep 15, 2023 | Podcast

  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 220: Hidden Benefits of the Sauna and Cold Showers

EP 220: Hidden Benefits of the Sauna and Cold Showers

by | Jun 22, 2023 | Podcast

Benefits of Sauna and Cold Showers

There has been a phenomenal amount of research that came out over the last few years on the benefits of saunas and cold showers. Most of the benefits come from the physiological changes and adaptations that occur but there are more than physiological positives. There are many hidden mental benefits that most people don’t take into consideration. Besides physically feeling better there are many psychological benefits to the sauna and cold showers.

Hidden Benefits of the Sauna

Most people know about the basic benefits of the sauna such as the ones that come from sweating. Sweating opens up your pours and rids the body of certain toxins. Did you know that beyond sweating the sauna extends your workout, increases stress tolerance, and makes you more open-minded?

Extends your workout

  • Sauna keeps your workout going by continuing that vasodilation. Our body dilates with heat and constricts with cold, by going to the sauna you’re prolonging the increase of blood going into your muscles and tissues. 
  • If you had a cardio day, the sauna maintains a higher heart rate and you can get a little bit more squeeze out of your workout. If you’re someone that’s 5ft 8in 165lbs you can lose around 100 calories just by sitting in the sauna for 20/30 min more if you hop in right after a workout. Doesnt sound like a lot but it’s more than you’ll lose if you just go home.

Increases stress tolerance

  • This is the ability to take on pressure without feeling negative or letting it consume you. 
  • The sauna builds stress tolerance because you are putting yourself in an uncomfortable place. It’s hot, you’re sweating, and you want to get out of there. By forcing yourself to be there all while your brain and mind are telling you that you can just simply step out and be more comfortable. 
  • You forcing yourself to stay in the uncomfortable translates to life outside of the sauna. It makes doing the uncomfortable things a little easier because you are subconsciously showing that you can get through tough challenges by focusing on what you want to do and not so much on your body.

Makes you more open-minded

  • I’ve had some of the best conversations in the sauna. There’s something about suffering and suffering in a group makes people more open. I noticed that some of the most intellectual or groundbreaking conversations I’ve had were in the sauna. Everyone is miserable and that allows some people to put their guard down. 
  • By having a conversation with people of all races, backgrounds, and ages it gives you a broader perspective of the world. People have been through different circumstances and offer a lot of knowledge on how they got out or how they felt. Some people have been in the exact same situation as you but in turn, did all the right things and some did the exact opposite. 

Cold Showers

I’ve been doing cold showers on and off for the last 5 years. I used to do ice baths regularly when I lived in San Diego and had access to them, but overall I have been doing cold showers for a long time and can speak to its effects. 

The research behind cold showers

Do cold showers really do anything? At the surface taking a cold shower might seem like it would have some benefits because you are going from warm temperatures to cold temperatures but remember that the average shower doesn’t take a long time. So the question is do cold showers have any benefit when taken for the average time and at what temperature? 

We know the colder the better and the longer the better. 

Most research studies use temperatures between 20-25 degrees Celsius which is about 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Illinois shower water. Overall studies show that ice baths are superior to a cold showers but that doesn’t mean cold showers don’t have any benefits. 

Basic Physiologic Affects

When the body comes into contact with cold water, the initial cold sensation stimulates the skin’s surface vessels, causing them to narrow and redirect blood flow to preserve heat. 

  • The brain and vital organs receive a fresh supply of oxygen and nutrients from the blood. 
  • Unlike warm receptors, cold receptors are abundant on the skin surface, ranging from 3 to 30 times more numerous. This abundance explains why the body feels invigorated by the sudden contact with cold water, as it promotes vasoconstriction and applies pressure to these receptors, resulting in heightened brain activity.

Physical benefits

Cold exposure offers numerous benefits for human health, encompassing both physical and psychological aspects. Regarding physical well-being, cold exposure can potentially aid in body 

Fat reduction: 

  • Cold temperatures stimulate increased energy expenditure and metabolism. Additionally, exposure to cold prompts the activation of brown adipose tissue (brown fat), which utilizes stored body fat as fuel. Consequently, cold exposure holds promise as a means to facilitate body fat loss.
  • Nonetheless, further research is necessary to establish conclusive evidence. Realistically you won’t lose fat from cold showers this was seen to be more effective with ice baths and really cold temperatures. A shower won’t stress your body enough for you to start using your fat as fuel. 

Improved cardiovascular health. 

  • Initially, cold exposure raises heart rate and blood pressure, leading to enhanced circulation. Blood is redirected from the skin towards vital organs, necessitating increased effort from the heart to pump blood effectively to these organs. 
  • Regular brief cold exposure over time can enhance heart efficiency and improve blood flow. Enhanced circulation yields various health benefits, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, improved cognitive function, and enhanced metabolism.

Immune system:

  • Contrary to common misconceptions (e.g., the belief that exposure to cold weather causes illness). Brief cold exposure actually increases the number of white blood cells and natural killer cells in the body, effectively bolstering the immune system. 
  • However, it is crucial to note that brief cold exposure is beneficial, whereas prolonged cold showers or extended periods in cold weather may not yield the same effects and could even be detrimental.

Alleviate pain and reduce inflammation:

  • The reduced blood flow during cold exposure helps minimize swelling and other inflammation-related factors.
  • Additionally, the release of endorphins during cold exposure activates opiate receptors in the brain, diminishing sensations of pain. This aligns with the common practice of using ice packs or cold therapies to alleviate inflammation, injuries, or pain in specific body areas. Similarly, cold showers can reduce systemic inflammation, soreness, and overall pain, making them an efficient and potent pain-relieving strategy.

Cold shower as an analgesic

One interesting theory about cold showers and cold therapy, in general, is its potential to act as an analgesic. There is a basis for how cold showers and cold therapy can improve mental function. There are 2 interesting theories, cold showers and therapy as a battle against depression and psychosis. 

  • Cold showers and psychosis
      • With respect to cold stress, an adapted cold shower could work as a mild form of electroshock applied bilaterally to the sensory cortex, and cold showers appear to have an anti-depressive rather than a sedative effect. Since electroshock therapy is known to have beneficial effects on psychotic symptoms of patients with schizophrenia, it is possible that adapted cold showers might have a similar antipsychotic effect. In addition, cold hydrotherapy is known to cause analgesia, suggesting that it may act through the mechanism of stress-induced analgesia involving the mesolimbic pathway and thus could have the effect of “crowding out” psychosis in that region of the brain similar. 
      • This idea is referred to as hormesis, our body’s response to a low amount of stress or toxin which causes a beneficial response. Over time the threshold increases and the effect of the toxic or stressor is decreased.
  • Cold showers and depression 
    • Exposure to cold temperatures leads to greater blood flow toward the brain, resulting in the simultaneous increase of endorphin production. These endorphins activate opiate receptors, which can contribute to an improved mood. 
    • Additionally, cold exposure enhances the transmission of electrical impulses in the brain and potentially raises dopamine levels. The combined effect of increased blood flow, endorphins, dopamine, and enhanced electrical activity can have potent anti-depressive effects. Notably, the boosted electrical activity resembles the mechanism employed in electroconvulsive therapy for depression, but without the associated potential side effects. 
    • Therefore, incorporating cold showers into one’s routine can serve as a simple approach to alleviate depression or low moods, while acknowledging that depression encompasses more severe symptoms beyond a mere transient low or bad mood.

 

Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8eOkLijbl4

EP 189: Nurse-on-Nurse Violence and Communication

EP 189: Nurse-on-Nurse Violence and Communication

by | Nov 11, 2022 | Podcast

Nurse-on-Nurse Violence and Communication

Nurse-on-nurse violence is a serious issue that’s happening all over the world. An average of two nurses every hour experience being abused in their workplace. And many don’t even file reports about it. 

When we say violence, the first thing that comes to our mind is physical assault but that’s not the only form of violence. In fact, violence also happens in the place of work. OSHA or Occupational Safety Health Administration defines workplace violence as 

“Any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. It can affect and involve employees, clients, customers, and visitors. ” 

In the United States, acts of violence and other injuries are the third-leading causes of fatal occupational injuries. And for nurses, this is sometimes the reality that we face.

How can we avoid this? How can we stop nurse-on-nurse violence? And what can we do in case acts of violence occur in our workplace? 

Our Guest

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Phil La Duke. Phil is currently employed as a writer, and board member on over ten medical research oversight boards.

We talk about workplace violence and the importance of communication and emotional de-escalation.  

QUESTIONS FOR GUESTS

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. Share with us your background and experience.
  2. Working with worker safety, what are the most common safety issues or injuries?
    • Where are all the fallouts that cause these to happen?
  3. What made you get into safety?
  4. What are the biggest safety issues in hospitals or in healthcare facilities? 
  5. A survey from Beckers Hospital revealed that 92% of healthcare workers have experienced or witnessed violence from a patient or their caregiver.  
    • How can we combat that?
  6. What does it mean to be part of a medical research board?
  7. What made you start writing books?

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? 

Do you want to know how we can resolve nurse-on-nurse violence? Click here for the full episode 👇👇👇

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:21 About Phil La Duke
05:09 How Phil started working in healthcare
07:44 The Just Culture
09:50 Risk-taking decisions
11:26 How Phil came about to workplace violence
16:47 The weird life of Phil La Duke
21:17 Common workplace violence in a hospital
38:00 Interventions to avoid workplace violence
59:31 How to Deescalate
01:17:54 Wrapping up the show

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

by | Sep 16, 2022 | Podcast

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?

 

Ep. 180: How Your Mindset Affects Your Life with Gary Clinton

Ep. 180: How Your Mindset Affects Your Life with Gary Clinton

by | Sep 9, 2022 | Podcast

How Your Mindset Affects Your Life with Gary Clinton

Your mindset affects your life in ways you don’t even expect. The truth is that many factors could affect our mental health.

It could be stress, frustrations, or pent-up emotions that we cannot express. It could also be pressure at work, studies, or it could also be the way you think. We tend to put pressure on ourselves.

And when we can’t fight these, it will indeed affect us. It is also the reason why many of us suffer from depression and anxiety. 

But is there a way to combat these mental health issues? How can we keep a healthy mind? And most importantly, how can your mindset affect your health and life in general?

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Gary Clinton. Gary Clinton is a mental health enthusiast passionate about mental health, dreams, nutrition, fitness, and creating a ripple effect on this earth to change human consciousness. 

He will help us understand how our mindset affects our life. 

We talk about the philosophy of life and how Gary overcame depression to become the person he is today.

QUESTIONS FOR GUESTS

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

QUESTIONS:

You told us that you lost your father. How did you cope with a death of a loved one? How did it affect your childhood?

  1. What were you trying to emotionally escape from? How did you deal with depression?
  2. What is the value of talking to someone?
  3. How do you clean up the mind?
  4. What are non-negotiable habits? And how important are they?
  5. How do you describe life and suffering in a metaphor?
  6. Any words of wisdom for people suffering from depression?
  7. How do we overcome suffering?

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? 

To learn more about how our mindset works and mental health, check out Gary on Instagram @mentalhealthhelp.ie for more helpful lessons and tips that you can use in life.

Learn more about your mindset by watching this full episode. Click here for the best advice! 👇

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:38 About Gary Clinton
05:58 How acceptance molds our future
07:57 Coping with the loss of a father and Healing Childhood
11:13 Escaping emotions and dealing with depression
14:48 Value of talking to someone
18:13 Goals, Dreams, and going through change
21:36 Shifting perspective
25:39 Tools to keep you on track
27:33 Cleaning up the mind
32:43 The non-negotiable habits
40:18 Metaphors for life and suffering
58:19 Wrapping up the episode