Mental Matters Hosted By Asekho Toto

What if your depression or memory issues are actually a warning sign from your metabolism?. We speak with functional medicine practitioner Dr. Smith about the powerful connection between your gut, your hormones, and your brain. We discuss the physical stressors that mimic emotional stress, the inverse relationship between cortisol and insulin, and why the "health food" you are eating might be causing inflammation. Plus, Dr. Smith reveals why standard thyroid tests might be missing the real issue: the immune system.

In this episode of Mental Matters, host Asekho Toto sits down with Judy to discuss a life defined by extreme resilience and the search for meaning within suffering. Judy opens up about the "decade of survival" where she cared for her daughter, Tatum, who has a genetic disorder, while simultaneously caring for her first husband, Colin, as he battled and eventually succumbed to cancer. She discusses the difference between "coping" and merely "reacting" to survival situations, noting that true processing often only comes years after the crisis has passed. The conversation then shifts to her second marriage, exploring the insidious nature of narcissistic abuse. Judy details how she was gaslit into questioning her own sanity and how she eventually reclaimed her power by realizing that while we cannot control our circumstances, we can always control our reaction to them.

In this episode of Mental Matters, host Asekho Toto sits down with the founder of Quantum Research for a paradigm-shifting conversation about the biological roots of mental health conditions.The discussion begins with a powerful personal story: the guest’s journey to heal his son from a severe autism diagnosis by looking past the label to find underlying biological triggers like high copper levels and nutritional deficiencies. Moving beyond the standard medical advice, they explore how "accidental" discoveries led to a deeper understanding of how toxins, infections, and diet influence the brain.

In this episode of Mental Matters, host Asekho Toto interviews Mark, the founder of MyBrainRestore, who shares his incredible story of defying a dual diagnosis of Stage 3 Parkinson’s syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease.Mark opens up about the devastating moment he received his diagnosis—likely linked to water contamination at the Camp Lejeune military base—and his refusal to accept that there was "no solution". Instead of resigning himself to a decline, he poured over medical research, eventually uncovering a Japanese study where mice were 100% cured of similar neurological conditions using a specific natural compound.Mark’s journey from being unable to navigate familiar roads to running a marathon for the Michael J. Fox Foundation is a testament to the power of persistence and thinking outside the pharmaceutical box

In this episode of Mental Matters, host Asekho Toto welcomes grief coach and author Leah Turner for a deep dive into the complexities of loss. Leah shares her powerful journey through a "compounding" three-year season of grief, including the death of her father, losing her home to a fire, and supporting her son through addiction. Together, they explore the radical idea that grief, when fully processed, can lead to a deeper appreciation for the simple joys of life.

In this episode of Mental Matters, host Asekho Toto sits down with parenting coach and author Shridhevi Veerappan for a candid and deeply personal conversation about the complexities of raising children and the mental health challenges often hidden in motherhood. Shridhevi opens up about her own harrowing experience with her first child—an emergency C-section followed by three weeks in the ICU—and the crushing "mom guilt" and potential postpartum depression that followed. Together, they deconstruct the myth that motherhood is naturally easy, emphasizing that being a "good mom" doesn't mean doing it all alone; it means having the courage to ask for support.

Can you explain the "Red Pill" movement through quantum physics? In this episode of Mental Matters, we take a fascinating turn away from the standard talking points to explore the energetics behind modern masculinity .Our guest, Kerry Bouzaglo—a 55-year-old author with a Master’s degree in East Asian Religious Studies—breaks down her spiritual connection to figures like Myron Gaines, Justin Waller, and Andrew Tate . She challenges the core Red Pill tenant that "high value" men require multiple women, arguing instead that this desire stems from avoidant attachment styles and unhealed trauma rather than biological imperative .

Shruti Sethi is a holistic health coach, cancer survivor, and founder of Awana Health.At 34, Shruti was a fashion designer living what looked like a healthy life - vegetarian diet, regular gym sessions, an active lifestyle. Then came a cancer diagnosis that shattered everything she thought she knew about health. Here's the thing - when she traced back her steps, she discovered something most doctors never ask about: chronic stress, suppressed emotions, and a body constantly running in fight-or-flight mode. The illness wasn't random. Her immune system had been sending warning signs for a year before the diagnosis.Expect to learn why stress can trigger cancer cells and how the mind-body connection works, what happens when you live in denial about your mental health, how nutrition directly affects your brain function and emotional resilience, why changing your diet can transform your energy and mental clarity in just two weeks, the crucial role of early childhood in forming mental health patterns, why parents need to model vulnerability for their children, what schools are getting wrong about mental health support, practical daily habits for calming your nervous system including nature exposure and grounding, and much more.This conversation will challenge how you think about the connection between physical illness and emotional wellbeing.Follow Shruti:Instagram: @shruti_sethi_Website: https://awaanahealth.com/

Angelo Valenti is a psychologist, leadership coach, and author of "You're Making This Way Too Hard: Find Your Easy Way to Enjoy Life."Most people are grinding toward a version of success that isn't even theirs. Here's the thing - they're following scripts written by society, parents, or peers, and wondering why achievement feels hollow. Angelo spent decades coaching leaders and realized the same pattern kept emerging: high performers chasing external validation while ignoring what actually brings them joy. The breakthrough? You can't lead others effectively until you've stopped betraying yourself.Expect to learn the key difference between therapy and coaching and why one looks backward while the other moves you forward, why Angelo abandoned a family legacy in dentistry to pursue psychology, what the "Sunday night test" reveals about your workplace culture, the two questions every hiring manager should ask before bringing someone onto their team, why you can't truly love others until you love yourself first, how to create an environment where honest feedback flows without fear, why a learning mindset is the difference between growth and intellectual death, practical strategies for self-care that go beyond the physical, and much more.This conversation will challenge how you think about success, self-worth, and what it actually takes to lead a fulfilling life.Follow Angelo Valenti:Website: https://thecompanypsychologist.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelovalentiphd/

Allan Misner is a NASM certified personal trainer, Precision Nutrition Level 2 Master Health Coach, host of the 40+ Fitness Podcast, and author of the award-winning book The Wellness Roadmap.Most people think weight loss is about finding the right diet or workout program. Here's the thing - Allan spent eight years trapped in an endless cycle of losing weight, gaining it back, and gaining more. Over and over again. The wake-up call came on a beach in Mexico at 39 when he couldn't get through a single game of volleyball. But it took another eight years and a conversation with his daughter before he finally cracked the code. The problem wasn't willpower - it was the lies we tell ourselves about food, hunger, and what it actually takes to change.Expect to learn why most people who think they're doing 80/20 are actually doing 53/47, how processed foods are engineered specifically to make you overeat, the simple photo accountability trick that stops emotional eating in its tracks, why your brain confuses cravings with real hunger and what to do about it, the evolutionary reason our bodies are wired to feast on sugar and how to work with your biology instead of against it, why whole foods automatically regulate your appetite while processed foods don't, what separates people who lose weight and keep it off from chronic yo-yo dieters, and much more.This conversation will challenge how you think about nutrition, willpower, and what it really takes to transform your health after 40.Follow Allan Misner:Website: 40plusfitness.comPodcast: 40+ Fitness PodcastInstagram: @coachallanm

Daniel is an engineer turned anxiety researcher, founder of Full Liberation Technology, and former stand-up comedian who spent 8 years and over $1 million developing a results-based approach to eliminating anxiety permanently.Here's the thing most people don't realize about anxiety: it doesn't start in your mind. You never say "I think anxious" - you say "I feel anxious." And you feel it in your throat, your chest, your stomach. The entire mental health industry has been sending people to the wrong location for decades. Daniel spent 10 years and $100,000 trying every traditional approach - therapy, coaching, meditation, self-help - and stayed stuck. As an engineer, he finally asked a different question: what if anxiety isn't a mind problem at all, but a nervous system malfunction?Expect to learn why the trillion-dollar "improvement industrial complex" keeps people stuck managing symptoms instead of eliminating them, how Daniel's research with monks in India showed meditation time could drop from 2 hours to 15 minutes by addressing root causes, why his work with addicts in South Africa through SANCA revealed something profound about healing, the mechanical reason your body feels fear first and your mind spins second, what the "spin cycle" is and why you can't think your way out of it, why therapists typically help only a third of their clients while his program has a 90% success rate, how feeling safe from the inside out transforms your relationships, work, and energy levels, what his decade as a stand-up comedian taught him about innovating solutions, and much more.This conversation will challenge everything you've been told about where anxiety comes from and what it takes to actually be free of it.aniel is an engineer turned anxiety researcher, founder of Full Liberation Technology, and former stand-up comedian who spent 8 years and over $1 million developing a results-based approach to eliminating anxiety permanently.Here's the thing most people don't realize about anxiety: it doesn't start in your mind. You never say "I think anxious" - you say "I feel anxious." And you feel it in your throat, your chest, your stomach. The entire mental health industry has been sending people to the wrong location for decades. Daniel spent 10 years and $100,000 trying every traditional approach - therapy, coaching, meditation, self-help - and stayed stuck. As an engineer, he finally asked a different question: what if anxiety isn't a mind problem at all, but a nervous system malfunction?Expect to learn why the trillion-dollar "improvement industrial complex" keeps people stuck managing symptoms instead of eliminating them, how Daniel's research with monks in India showed meditation time could drop from 2 hours to 15 minutes by addressing root causes, why his work with addicts in South Africa through SANCA revealed something profound about healing, the mechanical reason your body feels fear first and your mind spins second, what the "spin cycle" is and why you can't think your way out of it, why therapists typically help only a third of their clients while his program has a 90% success rate, how feeling safe from the inside out transforms your relationships, work, and energy levels, what his decade as a stand-up comedian taught him about innovating solutions, and much more.This conversation will challenge everything you've been told about where anxiety comes from and what it takes to actually be free of it.

Victoria Minch is a burnout recovery specialist, former Silicon Valley executive, and founder of Silicon Valley Executive Academy.Burnout has become an epidemic, especially among high achievers. But here's the thing - most people think the solution is to quit their job, move to a tropical island, or make some other radical external change. The problem? You take yourself with you. Victoria spent 25 years in Silicon Valley management before discovering that the key to lasting change isn't external, it's internal.Expect to learn why psychology PhDs end up working in high-tech startups, the difference between stress and burnout that most people miss, why changing jobs won't fix burnout if you don't change yourself first, the physiological reasons why your body gets stuck in chronic stress mode, practical techniques to actually complete your stress cycle instead of letting it accumulate, how to build self-care practices that aren't just Instagram wellness culture BS, why relinquishing control is one of the most powerful moves a leader can make, what work-life harmony actually means and why balance is the wrong goal, and much more.This conversation will challenge how you think about success, achievement, and what it actually takes to build a sustainable, fulfilling career.Follow Victoria:LinkedIn: Victoria MinchWebsite: SVexecutive.academy

Dr. Lara May is a functional medicine pharmacist specializing in gut health, mental health, and type 2 diabetes.The gut-brain connection isn't pseudoscience—it's biology. 95% of your neurotransmitters are manufactured in your gut, which means your mental health is directly tied to your digestive health. If you're struggling with anxiety, depression, or brain fog, the answer might not be in your head.Expect to learn why Western medicine keeps you on medications for life instead of solving root causes, what leaky gut actually means and how to recognize it, the shocking connection between type 2 diabetes and mental health, why your fiber intake might be making things worse, how vitamin D deficiency destroys your sleep and mood, the real reason functional medicine costs more upfront but saves you money long-term, which neurotransmitters control your happiness and where they come from, and much more.00:00 Introduction & Welcome02:03 Why She Left Traditional Pharmacy for Functional Medicine04:08 The Western vs Eastern Medicine Debate06:10 Type 2 Diabetes & Mental Health Connection08:13 Where Your Happy Chemicals Actually Come From12:35 Why Western Medicine Keeps You on Pills Forever16:39 The Truth About Fiber (And When It Hurts You)19:07 Vitamin Deficiencies You Don't Know You Have22:53 The Biological Side of Mental Health27:26 What Leaky Gut Actually Feels Like31:19 How to Find the Right Practitioner for YouFollow Dr. Lara May:Podcast: Lightbody RadioListen to all episodes on the Mental Meters Podcast

In this enlightening episode of "Mental Matters," join us as we delve into the world of holistic healing with our guest, Nisha. We explore the intricate connections between the mind, body, and spirit, and discuss how belief systems and lifestyle choices impact our overall well-being. Discover practical tips for improving mental health, the importance of setting goals, and the power of self-love. Tune in to learn how to become the architect of your future and embrace a holistic approach to life.

This conversation delves into the complexities of maternal health, focusing on the importance of self-worth, the challenges of postpartum depression, and the necessity of a supportive network for new mothers. Dr. Wilson shares her personal journey and insights from her book 'Post', emphasizing the need for women to prioritize their health and well-being during and after pregnancy.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Maternal Health Conversations02:53 The Importance of Self-Worth in Parenting05:38 Navigating Postpartum Challenges08:39 Understanding Postpartum Depression11:30 The Role of Nutrition and Self-Care14:28 Creating a Support System17:17 The Impact of Maternal Mental Health19:49 Insights from the Book 'Post'22:42 Refocusing the Message on Postpartum Wellness25:29 Addressing Healthcare System Flaws28:23 Final Thoughts on Maternal Health Awareness

In this conversation, Kelly Majdan discusses the unpredictability of life and how it often diverges from our expectations. She emphasizes the importance of resilience and facing challenges head-on, drawing parallels between life's obstacles and those encountered in an obstacle course.

In this conversation, Elizabeth Bennett discusses the alarming rise of bullying and mental health issues among youth, emphasizing the toxic environments they navigate. She highlights the detrimental effects of social media, where children seek validation in a virtual world that often presents an unrealistic facade. Bennett encourages parents to engage in open conversations with their children about their struggles and experiences.

The conversation delves into the topic of suicide ideation, exploring how it is a common experience among individuals, particularly in a classroom setting. Asekho Toto shares personal experiences with suicide ideation, highlighting the normalization of such thoughts among peers and the importance of support in overcoming these feelings.

In this conversation, Asekho Toto emphasizes the importance of making time for oneself, especially for mothers who often prioritize their children's needs over their own. She discusses the necessity of self-reflection and creating space in one's day to foster awareness and personal growth.

In this episode, Sarah Wilson shares a deeply personal journey through the challenges of managing type 1 diabetes and the unexpected wake-up call of a heart attack. Discover how self-care, mental resilience, and informed nutrition play pivotal roles in health management. Sarah emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy and personal accountability in navigating the healthcare system. Tune in to learn about the transformative power of habit tracking, the significance of gut health, and the empowering message of meeting yourself where you are.Sponsors and important linksSubscribe to my newsletter: mentalmattershostedbyasekhototo.substack.com/Want to be a guest on Mental Matters Hosted By Asekho Toto? Send Asekho Toto a message on PodMatch, here: www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1604880114184x746605277921114400You can buy my book on Amazon: www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08BRLN7QV/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&sr=Donations are welcomed at paypal.me/asekhototoSarah Wilson Website: https://www.everythingsmessywellness.com/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everythings-messy-podcast-by-sarah-wilson/id1481261318