Dr. Cowan is a medical doctor who graduated from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in 1984. He is a founding board member of the Weston A. Price Foundation™.  He is the principal author of the book The Fourfold Path to Healing, he is the co-author of the book The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care. And he writes the “Ask the Doctor” column in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the foundation’s quarterly magazine, and has lectured throughout the United States and Canada, and currently sees patients at his office in San Fransisco.

And in today’s show, we talk about nutrition for preconception, pregnancy and postpartum, as well as nutrition and care for babies and children. We also talk about the philosophy of illness and healing, and why modern medicine often gets it wrong.

Topics discussed in today's episode

• Why does modern medicine fail to address the root cause of illness?
• In what ways do traditional cultures look at pregnancy differently than we do now?
• Are there any traditional cultures who ate a vegan diet?
• What can we learn about fertility and pregnancy from traditional cultures?
• Nutrition for pregnancy - how to eat to create a healthy, tiny human
• The connection between autoimmune disease and infertility
• The role of fermented foods in gut health, fertility, and pregnancy
• The link between a mother's gut flora and her baby's gut flora and immune system
• Why are certain illnesses considered to be "incurable" and how does the doctor's philosophy of illness contribute to this belief?
• What type of diet is most beneficial for babies and children?
• How does a mother's diet impact her breast milk? Will the baby always "get what he/she needs" regardless of their mother's diet?
• Making baby formula at home? How does homemade formula differ from store bought formula?
• How to find a doctor who will work with you to determine the root cause of illness?

Connect with Dr. Cowan

You can connect with Dr. Cowan on his website, and on Facebook.

Resources mentioned

• Four-Fold Healing | Dr. Thomas Cowan
• The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care | Sally Fallon-Morell & Dr. Thomas Cowan
• The Fourfold Path to Healing: Working with the Laws of Nutrition, Therapeutics, Movement and Meditation in the Art of Medicine (book) | Dr. Thomas Cowan
• Weston A Price Foundation | Dr. Thomas Cowan

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Hannah has been affectionately dubbed the “Kombucha Mama” and since 2004 she has been brewing Kombucha and educating others about how easy it is to make this delicious and healthy “longevity elixir”. Hannah has taught workshops all over the US for over a decade spreading the message of Kombucha and the bacterial benefits, and her how-to videos have pilled up hundreds of thousands of views! Also Hannah’s new book: The Big Book of Kombucha has just come out on March 8th where she shares hundreds of recipes and flavoring ideas.

In today’s show, Hannah and I talk all about Kombucha! The health benefits of this amazing fermented, probiotic beverage, and the different ways it can be beneficial for women after coming off of hormonal birth control, trying to get pregnant, or during pregnancy!

Topics discussed in today's episode

• What is Kombucha?
• What role can Kombucha play in improving fertility?
• The role that Kombucha can play in the detoxification process
• Why is Kombucha such a powerful natural probiotic?
• What the heck is a SCOBY?
• Where did modern soda pop actually come from?
• How naturally fermented sodas like Kombucha can help you kick your soda pop addiction!
• How do you make Kombucha? And how can you flavor it?
• Is Kombucha safe during pregnancy?
• When might Kombucha not be right for someone?
• The importance of following your gut and listening to your body
• The role Kombucha can play in improving skin health and reducing acne
• Why fermenting your own foods can transform the way you think about food
• The importance of gut health during pregnancy

Connect with Hannah

You can connect with Hannah on her website, on Facebook, Twitter, and on her YouTube channel.

Resources mentioned

• Kombucha Kamp | Hannah Crum
• The Big Book of Kombucha |Hannah Crum
• Kombucha Kamp on YouTube | Hannah Crum
• FFP 066 | Gut Health and Fertility | Preconception Nutrition | GAPS Diet | Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Shawn is a bestselling author and creator of The Model Health Show, featured as the #1 Health podcast in the country on iTunes. A graduate of The University of Missouri - St. Louis, Shawn studied business, biology, and kinesiology, and went on to be the founder of Advanced Integrative Health Alliance, a company that provides wellness services for individuals and organizations worldwide. Shawn has been featured in Entrepreneur magazine, Men's Health magazine, ESPN, FOX News, and many other media outlets.

In today’s show, we talk about sleep, and why it is critical for health, fertility, balanced hormones and much more!

Topics discussed in today's episode

• Shawn's journey back to health after his experience with a debilitating illness
• The role that sleep plays in the body's detoxification process
• The importance of preparing for a good night's sleep
• The relationship between sleep, insulin levels, and weight gain
• The relationship between sleep deprivation and food cravings
• Why is sleep so important for overall health and fertility?
• What happens to our bodies if we aren't getting enough quality sleep?
• What are some of the ways that we can optimize our sleep?
• How can what you do first thing in the morning impact your sleep quality at night?
• What is the relationship between sleep and hormone balance?
• What impact does sleep deprivation have on sex drive?
• The negative impact of light on your sleep quality at nighttime

Connect with Shawn

You can connect with Shawn on his website and on Facebook and Twitter.

Resources mentioned

• The Shawn Stevenson Model | Shawn Stevenson
• The Model Health Show (Podcast) | Shawn Stevenson
• Sleep Smarter: 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to a Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success
• Sleep Smarter - 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to a Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success (book)
• FFP 053 | The Effect of Light on the Menstrual Cycle and Fertility | Sleeping in Darkness to Regulate Menstruation | Natural Family Planning | Joy DeFelice

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Rachel is a reproductive health practitioner out of Guildford UK, who specializes in fertility massage therapy. Rachel teaches Natural Family Planning, and she is a holistic health coach, and she incorporates Reiki, and reflexology into her practice, among other modalities. Rachel works with women suffering from PMS, painful, heavy or irregular periods, and fertility issues and much more!

And in today’s show, we talk all about fertility massage therapy and how learning natural family planning has informed her practice!

Topics discussed in today's episode

• The connection between period health and fertility
• How the position of the uterus impacts menstrual health & fertility
• The natural movement of the uterus throughout menstruation
• What causes uterine adhesions and how can these adhesions impair free uterine movement?
• Using Fertility Awareness/Natural Family Planning as a diagnostic tool
• How can food sensitivities impact a woman's menstrual cycle?
• Using Fertility Awareness Charting to understand and address fertility issues
• Luteal phase defect/short luteal phase
• Impact of stress on the menstrual cycle

Connect with Rachel

You can connect with Rachel on her website and on Facebook & Twitter.

Resources mentioned

• The Healthy Womb | Rachel Eyre
• FFP 030 | Alignment and Movement for Fertility | Merciér Therapy | Marie Wittman
• FFP 018 | Arvigo Abdominal Therapy | Vaginal Steaming | Traditional Maya healing for Fertility and Menstrual Cycle Irregularities| Dr. Rosita Arvigo
• FFP 050 | Journeys in Healing | Arvigo® Therapy for Fertility and Pregnancy | Donna Zubrod & Diane MacDonald
• Hypnobirthing: The breakthrough natural approach to safer, easier, more comfortable birthing (book) | Marie Mongan

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)