The Good Mood Podcast

As Ontario, Canada heads toward a third round of lockdowns, we're experiencing what Victoria Sabo and her colleagues call "Covid Fatigue". That low motivation, low-grade anxiety, indescribable feeling and set of emotions that characterize our response to over a year of this pandemic.  Victoria and I met to talk about the issues that people are experiencing: whether they be children, essential or frontline workers, immunologically impaired, or those who have lost businesses.  Victoria is a registered psychotherapist who works in Toronto at Psychotherapy in the City. Victoria Sabo is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and a Certified Canadian Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology from Western University, with an Honors Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour from McMaster University. Victoria works with youth and adults experiencing a wide variety of concerns including stress, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, relationships, school, identity exploration, life transitions, rehabilitation, and trauma. As a therapist, she works to provide a safe, open, and non-judgemental space for clients to explore and process their experiences. Understanding that each client's story is unique, she applies an integrative and flexible approach specifically tailored for each unique journey. Generating solutions, creating meaning, and fostering growth, are all possible using resources within the self. Through self-exploration, making connections, enhancing knowledge, and building skills, Victoria empowers her clients to access and further develop their inner strengths as tools for wellness. Victoria follows an anti-oppressive framework, operating within feminist, LGBTTIQQ2SA+, and culturally-informed perspectives that accept, celebrate, and are sensitive to, all sexualities, genders, family structures, ethnicities, and religions. Over the years, she has provided support to children and youth living with disabilities while working to increase service accessibility and has provided gender-informed programming for vulnerable young girls. As a previous researcher supported by Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy, Victoria advocated for services to assist in the healing and upward mobility of families economically and socially marginalized by society. Passionate for youth justice, she has published articles and spoken at conferences giving voice to the experiences and struggles of justice-involved youth in order to inform rehabilitative efforts. Victoria and I talk about the difficulties her clients and my patients are experiencing during these Lockdowns and the pandemic in general. What some of the symptoms of Covid Fatigue are, some of the social justice issues surrounding the pandemic, some of the unique isolating situations some of our patients/clients find themselves in and what can be done about it.  A lot of the people I work with are suffering and it's time to speak about it: to validate it, bring attention to it and take some lift off the cognitive load of the struggles that we've been dealing with.  Go easy on yourselves, this is a challenging time.  Stay safe out there, my friends. Find Victoria online at:  Her clinic's website: https://www.psychotherapyinthecity.com/ For Black Ontarians experiencing issues with the police contact Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) at 1-877-736-9406 or visit www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca

In this episode of the Good Mood Podcast, Dr. Talia, ND, reflects on Sonnenberg's study showing how gut microbiota-targeted diets can influence human immune status. The study involved two dietary intervention groups, high-fibre and high-fermented foods, with the latter showing decreased inflammatory cytokines. The podcast stresses the importance of microbiota-accessible carbohydrates (MACs) found in fibres and fermented foods for gut health. It offers insights on probiotics, fermenting foods at home, and gut health testing methods. Encouraging the inclusion of fibres, antimicrobial herbs, and fermented foods in one's diet, Dr. Talia invites listeners to explore ways to enhance gut health and overall well-being through dietary choices. Chapters0:01A New Beginning in Psychotherapy and Educational Projects2:08Exciting Future Plans for the Good Mood Project3:27The Impact of Diet on Gut Microbiota9:07Study Results: High Fiber vs. High Fermented Food Diets19:55Challenges of Adding Fiber to an Unhealthy Gut20:59Implications of the Sonnenberg Trial on Health21:39Reflections on Gut Health Research and Dietary Changes26:11Utilizing Fermented Foods and Probiotics for Gut Health learn more at taliand.com Good Mood Project: goodmood.thrivecart.com

Brandie is a recovering wellness nano-influencer working towards becoming a Registered Psychotherapist. Brandie used to be an obedient follower and team leader. Still, today, she’s writing a Substack and a memoir on the topic of cult awareness and her experience inside a commercial cult. Brandie speaks out about abuses of power and coercion perpetrated by MLM scams because she firmly believes that every mind deserves to be free. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandiehadfield/ Substack: https://brandiehadfield.substack.com/p/boss-babe-no-more?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Parasites are gross, and despite our desire to avoid them, they may be necessary to talk about. Dr. Michelle Pobega aka the "Poop and Parasite Princess" and I talk poop... and parasites. What they are, how they live, what they want with your life, health and well-being, how to uncover their slimy ways, and how to rid yourself of them. This may be a disgusting episode, but it's our episode. And hopefully, it's also your episode. Dr. Michelle Pobega is a naturopathic doctor with over 12 years in private practice. She has a clinical focus on optimizing digestive health after she herself struggled for years with what is often termed “IBS.” She learned how to unpack and address the layers of imbalance behind her digestive symptoms, regained control and resiliency in her health, and is now focused on helping her patients do the same. You will often find her discussing mind-body medicine, healthy poops, parasites and their effects on health, optimizing liver health and detoxification and supporting the gall bladder. Find Dr. Michelle at https://drmichellend.ca/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dr.michelle_nd/ Listen to That Naturopathic Podcast https://www.tnpodcast.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thatnaturopathicpodcast/

In 2021, I started hearing about a weight loss program patients were doing via Facebook. Patients are always telling me about weight loss programs. However, these patients were motivated, losing weight, regularly eating, enjoying protein for breakfast and hydrating. They were engaging in better self-care. They were also following our work together with more inspiration and motivation and noticed many healthy changes and better metabolic health. I hate treating weight loss, and I'm happy when patients find something I can't offer them: daily support, motivation, and a community. So, I joined the Livy Method myself to see what all the fuss was about. Gina Livy is the founder and CEO of Weight Loss by Gina Inc. and the creator of the Livy Method. She started her process as a personal trainer, going through her own interesting weight loss journey (following the old calories in, calories out) model resulting in more weight gain. It wasn't until she started dating a chef and eating more that she saw her body composition shift. Inspired by this, Gina turned to the research and started implementing what she was learning with clients 1 to 1. In December 2020, she took this method to a few hundred customers via Facebook, offering her program for free. Her program now has 28,000 members in this Spring/summer of 2023 (its 19th iteration), with 165,000 members in total, she has a bestselling book on Amazon, and her company grosses almost 8 figures in revenue. Researchers at the University of Ottawa are currently studying her work. In total, her program has resulted in over 250,000 pounds lost. Weight loss can be a sensitive topic. We talk about the Healthy At Any Size and Body Positivity Movement with the conclusion that you can be healthy and love yourself at any size, and weight shouldn't factor into whether or not you are worthy or loveable. However, as my hero Carl Rogers says, “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” Perhaps when we embrace the totality of ourselves as we are, weight, warts and all, we are inspired to care for ourselves in a new way, free of the hangups we have accumulated about our bodies, diet and food, and we're ready to feel more energy, experience less pain and learn how to rewrite the old narratives around nourishing ourselves. Find Gina at: https://www.ginalivy.com/ Buy her latest book: https://a.co/d/1FllRaO

I talk about neurodivergence in Canada and considerations for counselling and naturopathic medicine, including support for executive functioning skills, therapeutic relationship-building, and nutritional support.    Learn more: taliand.com    learn.goodmoodproject.ca 

Dr. Martha Sharpe, ND is back on the Good Mood Podcast to talk about cancer survivorship, nourishing our bodies and supporting mental health, as well as the healing philosophy of naturopathic medicine, an additive approach to dietary and lifestyle changes and how to support your whole body after cancer.   Find Martha here:  https://marthasharpend.com/podcastpromo  Promo code: PODCAST100

What is the truth about cholesterol, this devilish and dreaded molecule that must be headed off at the pass with cholesterol-lowering medications? Is it a heart attack in a box, or fuel for the brain?    Learn the truth about this molecule including how to interpret your blood tests, what cholesterol's many roles are in the body, how to balance your body for optimal health and cardiovascular disease prevention and more!    I am interviewed by Tracy Seider of the Reshape Method https://tracyseidercoaching.com/the-reshape-method Get in touch:  website: taliand.com Instagram: @drtaliand

I talk with Tracy Seider about hair loss. Do you dread washing or brushing your hair for fear of seeing clumps falling out in the shower? Listen to or watch this presentation on diagnosing and uncovering the cause of hair loss and learning how to treat it.  First appeared on Tracy's Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/142386369718570 Website: taliand.com learn.goodmoodproject.ca 

I finally have Dr. Shayla Garland, ND on my podcast, after much deliberation and convincing. Shayla graduated a year ahead of me at CCNM but after we both graduated we became friends. She is a wonderful ND and very talented artist and skilled world traveller and expert free spirit. On this pod she will share her epic story that changed it all for her and gave her that secret zing of unbridled trust in the universe.  You see, we all want freedom and happiness. We want to be free of our hangups and lack of self-consciounsess and self-doubt. We want to silence the inner critic and feel good physically, mentally and emotionally. But true freedom comes not from having the right things or having the right things happen to us--not from having control or having our stuff together, but from riding the waves of life and living with an open receptive spirit and being grateful for the gifts the life delivers. And Dr. Shayla is a mindset master (although she doesn't necessarily know it). She lives free of fear, need for control, criticism and doubt (for the most part, of course).  So in the pod we hear her story and I psychoanalyze her so that we can learn her secrets and we give you a some tools to access that. We understand that sometimes life hands us a set of early experiences that set us up with a baseline of distrust in other humans and in the benevolence of life. We feel anxious and fearful. We have bottled up unprocessed grief or trauma. But how can we start fresh and move through life with the lightness of being that Dr. Shayla Garland possesses? Listen to find out.  Shayla is a naturopathic doctor with a licence in Ontario (and soon to be licence in British Columbia).  You can find her at: Her website: https://www.shaylagarlandnd.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.shaylagarland/ For more: learn.goodmoodproject.ca taliand.com

In this episode Victor Cirone joins us for a third time, this time to talk about homeopathy.  We cover the who, why, what and where--the history, details and definition of homeopathic medicine as well as discuss healing philosophy, resistance to healing and fear of death (and dolphin's milk).    Victor Cirone is a Registered Homeopath with The College of Homeopaths of Ontario as well as a Registered Clinical Herbalist with the Ontario Herbalists Association. He graduated with honours from the Canadian College of Homeopathic Medicine, and before that from Diane Kent’s program in clinical herbal medicine. He is a founding member of, and chief contributor to, Everything Herbal (www.everythingherbal.ca), a project dedicated to fostering the practice of herbal medicine and related branches of natural healing.   In addition to his medical studies, he has a Master’s degree in Communication and Culture from York/Toronto Metropolitan University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Toronto. He has also completed The Essentials of Psychoanalytic Therapy program offered by the Toronto Institute for Contemporary Psychoanalysis, and has an extensive background in Jungian/Archetypal psychology and dreamwork. He is a published author, and lectures both nationally and internationally.  Victor practices Homeopathy and Herbal medicine because of the immense transformative powers that these modalities contain – both on individual and collective levels of experience.  He values direct experience, careful and attentive observation, and always strives to engage with his patients in a way that is authentic and deeply healing. He employs a range of medicines in his practice to suit the needs of the individual in their journey toward wholeness and wellness.    Find Victor at:  victorcirone.com   @victorcirone (Instagram)   Learn more:  taliand.com    learn.goodmoodproject.ca taliand.com

Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND review (Cu)Re Your Fatigue by Morley Robbins, and explains the complex dynamic between iron metabolism, copper and magnesium and how they play a role in our energy production in the body and reduction of oxidative stress that leads to chronic disease. Energy is everything and a lack of energy and increase in oxidative stress may contribute to the rise in health conditions we see today.  Learn how iron, copper and magnesium harness the energy from oxygen in the mitochondria to optimize our mental, emotional and physical health and keep us free from disease.   Learn more:  taliand.com    learn.goodmoodproject.ca taliand.com

This episode is a recording of an interview I did on Tracy Seider (of the Reshape Method)'s Facebook group. We talk about the stress response and hormones. How changes in your hormones can affect stress: sleep, energy and mood and how this can affect your Circadian Rhythms. We discuss the master stress hormone cortisol and how to tame it to promote stress resilience, energy, mood and longevity.  check out Tracy's Reshape Method here https://tracyseidercoaching.com/ And her Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/142386369718570 Also check out my programs at learn.goodmoodproject.ca including the Ant-Inflammatory Bundle where you can get 4 courses for $75 (until August 1st, when all my prices increase on the site). 

Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, naturopathic doctor, discusses natural weight loss--when her patients want weight loss what are they actually asking for? What hormonal inputs cause unwanted fat gain and maintenance?  Why is calorie restriction not that answer?  What two lifestyle strategies does she recommend instead that restructure the metabolism and heal the cause of weight gain?     Resources: learn.goodmoodproject.ca for the course You Weigh Less on the Moon   taliand.com for appointment booking, articles, more podcasts and more information on naturopathic medicine

Welcome to the 80th episode of the Good Mood Podcast!  To celebrate I've created another epic episode: The All About Anxiety Masterclass. This episode encompasses: how to rewire your anxious brain, how to support OCD, how to ride the waves of your emotions for 90 seconds and how to recover from stress and burnout.    This episode couples well with the other Masterclasses in this series: The Trauma Masterclass and The Nutrition Masterclass.   I never thought people would listen to long-ass podcasts like this, but they are the most-listened-to episodes. So, I guess this means you're like me. I love putting a pod in my ears to take in information while walking the dog, folding laundry, driving or cooking. It gives my eyes a rest, and allows me to learn while moving my body.    If you suffer from stress and anxiety or know someone who does, give this episode a listen or send it to your friends. These Masterclass podcasts are meant to be listened to in chunks, to have all your information in one place where you can digest them at your own pace.    I really hope you enjoy it! taliand.com learn.goodmoodproject.ca @drtaliand

Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND describes how dopamine works in the brain. How does it connect to mood, motivation, desire, willpower, tenacity, self-efficacy, creativity and happiness? How can dopamine breed or affect satisfaction? How can we use dopamine to improve desire, motivation, executive functioning and pleasure?    Perhaps now you’re having trouble concentrating, feel anxious with a low mood, wish you were more motivated, excited and driven. Perhaps you’re having issues with memory and word recall. Perhaps you’re feeling overwhelmed and scattered, having trouble being motivated. You procrastinate. You lose time on the couch. You’re dealing with lots of cravings and the need for stimulation through food, scrolling social media, or self-soothing behaviours like skin picking or addictive behaviours such as substance use. This podcast is for you.    Or perhaps you're a driven individual who struggles to find satisfaction in the here and now, who lives for tomorrow and can't exist without goals. This podcast is for you too.    Check out learn.goodmoodproject.ca to learn about courses on how to support your blood sugar for stable prefrontal cortex activity.    Learn more: taliand.com

"In my ways of knowing, medicine is the vital, healing energy that connects the Spirit, mind, and emotional bodies. It’s something carried by all living things. It is our connection, our roots, our life force. Medicine is something we all carry, birthed from our Ancestors and held by our Spirit."   - Asha Frost, "You are the Medicine"   Asha Frost (she/her) is an Indigenous Medicine Woman and member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation. She is from the Crane Clan, the totem of leadership, and believes in holding space from vision and heart. As an energy healer, homeopath, and mentor, Asha has guided thousands of people through profound and lasting transformation.    Impacted by generational trauma and colonization, Asha has been on a lifelong journey of reclamation. A lupus diagnosis sent her on a path of studying and practicing a multitude of energy Medicine modalities with many guides. She has blended this life experience with her innate gifts and the wisdom of her Ancestors. She loves sharing her Medicine in powerful ways through Ceremonies, teachings, and speaking events. Through this work, she loves seeing people reclaim their roots, find their healing wisdom, and rise into their power.    Asha lives on Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat, and Haudenosaunee Territory, with her husband and two beautiful children, with whom she co-creates a better world for the seven generations to come.    You can find her book here: https://www.amazon.ca/You-Are-Medicine-Indigenous-Connection/dp/1401963501 Instagram: @asha.frost  Website: ashafrost.com 

Here's an all-in-one-podcast related to everything about nutrition that you were afraid to Google (or maybe did Google and ended up more confused). In this podcast I pull together previous pod episodes on nutrition, where I discuss cravings, the Dos and Don'ts of Human Nutrition, nutrients for mental health, and why eating meat is healing. This episode is more than 4 hours long--but I'm hoping it will be a one-stop-shop for your mental health nutrition education needs. Nutrition is a passion of mine. I love the mind-body connection, acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy, nature therapy, psychotherapy--I am so passionate about these things, but as a naturopathic doctor, I have seen nutrition, when done right to be the single most powerful tool for radically transforming our mental, emotional, physical and even spiritual, health.  Listen, take notes, I hope you enjoy.  Check out the course Feed Your Head here: https://learn.goodmoodproject.ca/courses/feed-your-head

Dr. Katie is a Naturopathic Doctor, clinic owner, thyroid authority and educator. Her mission is to break the mold of traditional thyroid care and to bring evidenced-based thyroid education to practitioners and patients.    As a clinician, Dr. Rothwell uses her signature framework and a practical down to earth approach to help her patients navigate the confusing world of thyroid health.    As an educator, she is fiercely passionate about providing accurate, evidenced based thyroid education to a variety of health professionals including Naturopathic Doctors. She created her two flagship practitioner trainings before creating The Thyroid Academy, a revolutionary educational platform for both health professionals and the public.  She also lectures regularly to her ND colleagues and provides consulting services across North America.    Find Katie at:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/your.thyroid.nd/  Her website: rootedinhealth.ca

I talk with my friend Dr. Niki Nephin about... a whole lot of things related to perinatal mental health. We discuss post-partum anxiety and depression, the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, labour and the post-natal period, the social and environmental factors that shape post-partum mental health, how it's "not just serotonin", recreating the village, shame, stigma and the silencing of the struggles of birthing parents, and a whole bunch of other things.  Niki is super real. She's a cool ND who shares her post-natal struggles with her first born (she's now a mother of 3). She's also a naturopathic doula. Her passion is helping families grow and thrive through pregnancy, birth, and the great beyond. In the words of her bio: it takes a village, she's ready to be part of yours.  Find Niki at: Her website: https://nikithenaturopath.com/ Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikithenaturopath/