Healing Out Loud With Jackie Shea

Jessica Corey, mother, nature lover, autoimmune warrior, recovering sugar addict Jessica Corey: Jessica lived an entirely healthy life until 2009 when she came down with what appeared to be a UTI, but was later determined interstitial cystitis. In 2011, Jessica got pregnant and all of her symptoms magically disappeared until her acutely traumatic birth left her in the hospital for five days, fighting for her life. Since then, Jessica Corey has seen countless doctors and done hours and hours of research all to discover Hashimoto's thyroiditis and chronic EBV. All that while being a badass parent and wife! Today, she lives a big, full life maintained by daily self-care and sacred pauses. Find out how Jessica made it through and some of her tricks to get through the rough patches! IG: @itsjesscorey Weekly Challenge: Take Sacred Pauses Tara Brach's book, Radical Acceptance, discusses this idea of "Sacred Pauses, " and we are challenging you to take some this week! All this means is that you take a moment, espec

Ira Pastor, CEO of Bioquark, superhero geek   Bioquark: Bioquark is a regenerative healthcare company focused on developing proprietary natural biopharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare products, targeting the regeneration and repair of complex human organs and tissues. Ira Pastor, CEO of Bioquark, is also a 30+ year veteran of the traditional pharmaceutical industry. He left pharmaceuticals to start Bioquark due to the fact that, in spite of generating close to $1 trillion annually,  his former industry was incapable of generating any cures for the chronic diseases responsible for the majority of human degeneration, suffering, and death. Bioquark is dedicated to finding a way to repair and renew our cells rather than managing our symptoms. Weekly Challenge: This week's challenge is to switch up your routines! Before you get oppositional, hear this out. I'm not talking about switching up your bedtime routine or switching up your beloved morning routine. I'm talking about eating different foods, giving your

Dominique Toney, actor, recording artist, healthy food-lover   Graves' Disease The autoimmune version of hyperthyroidism, Graves' disease affects mostly women and many people go misdiagnosed. For Dominique, a stressful event in her junior year of college marked the beginning of Graves' symptoms—she was plagued by heat intolerance, weight loss, insomnia, tremors, and anxiety. Because Graves' is often genetic and Dominique's mother also suffered from the disease, it was fairly easy to get a diagnosis. But that was just the beginning of the journey. In this episode we discuss how Dominque has managed the highs and the lows of Graves' disease for the last decade, and how she manages a big, full life with self-care! Contact Dominque: IG/FB/Twitter: @domtoney. Website: www.dominiquetoney.com Weekly Challenge: MAKE ENOUGH FOOD TO HAVE LEFTOVERS This seems simple enough, I know, but it is a game changer! I absolutely love this weekly challenge. Each week, I try to make a healthy soup or stew and have enough for m

Lauren Kennedy, soon-to-be nurse, Hawaiian paddler, lover and badass   Lauren Kennedy At 29 years old, Lauren Kennedy was thriving. She had finally found some peace and healing after her boyfriend’s suicide five years earlier, and she was living an abundant, hopeful life filled with activity. When she started experiencing spotting between periods, a friend suggested she go to the doctor just to be safe. She never imagined she would have ovarian cancer as a young woman. The next many months were unexpectedly grueling, from the discovery of the tumors to grieving her great dream of having children. She showed up, put one foot in front of the other and today Lauren is thriving again, her eggs are frozen and she’s at peace with her new body. Contact Lauren @lolomaui Weekly Challenge THE FIVE MINUTE JOURNAL  My friends, journaling is really really dope. There are so many studies on the positive effects of therapeutic writing for people with chronic illness. Research has shown that writing can reduce symptoms,

Katayoun and Marcello Marciano, mother and child Autism: In honor of Autism Awareness Month, I had Katayoun Marciano on to speak about her experience parenting her beautiful, non-verbal, 17 year-old autistic son, Marcello. Autism is a bio-neurological development disability that usually appears within the first stages of life. How autism presents differs greatly from patient to patient— the spectrum is wide  (to put it mildly). Little else is known about autism—the most controversial and mysterious piece being the cause—making it an upsetting and disorienting process for parents. In this episode, Katayoun tells all about raising Marcello, from getting his diagnosis to tantrums that take the whole family hostage. She gives parents new to this journey a lightly sketched road map and a hand to hold. To contact Katayoun: IG: @katswrite Weekly Challenge: DO ONE NEW AND FUN ACTIVITY AND SEE IF IT CHANGES YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO YOUR REALITY. This is a FUN one! Around minute 45 we begin discussing this challenge, an

Emily Maloney, holistic health coach, endometriosis warrior, fellow matcha lover   Treating Endometriosis: Endometriosis is a condition where tissue (similar to the lining of the uterus) forms outside of the uterus inducing inflammation and scar tissue. This tissue is can also grow on ovaries, the bladder, and the bowel. And did you know that endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women? With numbers like that why is there so little discussion of the disease? Why did I (a middle class girl from NYC) have no idea what endometriosis was until I began my health journey at 26 years old?? If this is the first you're hearing of it then this is a great introduction to the signs, testing, and treatment availability. If this is long into your own endo journey then this is a great place to pick up some new tools and relate to a comrade. Emily Maloney intuitively knew that her periods were different from her girlfriends. Her pain was so intense during her period that she often wondered whether or not she'd wake up in the morni

Sascha Alexander, Life and Health Coach, Actress, Activist, Awesome Self-Advocate Sascha Alexander: Sascha has one of those all-too-common stories: Her symptoms began at eight years old and diagnoses only began trickling in 12 years later.  Migraines, sinus infections, and chronic yeast infections were just some of her complaints. Like many of us, she was over-treated with antibiotics and, quickly, her health started to unravel. With the onset of her period came a host of new symptoms which later led to a Hashimoto's diagnosis. However, getting Hashimoto's under control did not fix everything else. By 28, Sascha was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis and her big five symptoms (as she calls them) were Migraines, intense fatigue, bladder and urinary pain, air hunger, bloating and abdominal dissension. Armed with self-advocacy and research, Sascha got to the bottom of her issues and began solving them herself. You know how I love people who take their health into their own hands! Today, two years after seeing

  Annie Howard, LA based filmmaker, editor at The Hollywood Reporter Narcolepsy with Cataplexy Generally, narcolepsy comes about between the ages of 10-25, presenting with symptoms like excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep disruption, sleep paralysis and hallucinations. It takes most people an average of seven doctors and ten years to get the correct diagnosis. What exactly triggers narcolepsy is unknown and being studied. Cataplexy presents as the weakening of muscles when you feel strong emotions and is often a sign of narcolepsy but does NOT always present with narcolepsy. Join us in this episode as we discuss Annie's journey of symptoms, diagnosis and treatment!!   Weekly Challenge: Beautiful friends, this week you are going to be glowing because we are getting hot and steamy in the tub. That's right: The challenge is to take as many hot baths as are appropriate for you!! This is a super duper self-love practice. Calm the nerves, find some quiet, fall in love with yourself and treat your body

Jessica Perlman, actor, makeup artist, pilates and hot yoga lover This Episode: "My eating disorder recovery is about gentleness, self-love and compassion." Jessica Perlman bravely discusses her eating disorder with us, diving into how it manifests in her life, what triggers her, and what recovery looks and feels like. It's extra complex for Jessica— she also has autoimmune diseases, and one of the most well-known treatments for autoimmune disease is a hyper-restrictive diet. Diet restriction can destroy the mental health and physical health of a person with an eating disorder—so what do you do? Jessica tells us!! Contact Jessica on IG: @jperlgirl or on her website  The Weekly Challenge: Seven days of meditation! For those of us that have been meditating for awhile, the challenge is to meditate 20 minutes a day. And for those new to meditation, it's five minutes or, even simpler, ONE minute. Take a listen to the episode around minute 20-25 to get more info. We discuss how important it is to meditate to get

Laura Guzik-Cohn, writer, mom, wife, dog person, Chicago-native Hashimoto's Disease: Often confused with hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune thyroid disorder. That means you get the best sides of both worlds—*sense the sarcasm*. Symptoms include extreme fatigue, weight gain and hair loss  (thyroid) as well as inflammation and joint pain (autoimmune). My guest this week, Laura Guzik-Cohn brings us her personal battle with Hashimoto's disease. Laura's symptoms began after giving birth to her son, an already lonely and exhausting time. We fearlessly dive into what it's like to have postpartum depression, what it's like to get a Hashimoto's diagnosis and how to treat it, and how to treat an autoimmune disease when you are super busy taking care of a small child. Laura was gracious enough to give us a contact and asks that anyone suffering from anything above please contact her: IG @thejuggernautsmom Weekly Challenge: This week is both the easiest and hardest of all weekly challenges, guys. REA

Aimee Bello, Founder of Altared Space, Kundalini Teacher, Healer, Self-Love Enthusiast Aimee Bello's practice named ALTARED SPACE is located in Topanga Canyon, California although she teaches all over LA, as well as Vegas, Chicago and abroad. She is a Kundalini Yoga and meditation instructor, Master Reiki Crystal Healer and Teacher, and Past Life Regression and Intuitive Guide. After her 13 year marriage ended, Aimee made a courageous decision to follow her intuition and move across the country to start anew. While soul-searching for her own truth, Aimee fell in love with the healing arts and thus transformed her life. Look for @altaredspace on Instagram and Facebook! Contact: Aimee.bello@altared-space.com Weekly Challenge: This week's challenge is to do three minutes a day of self-reiki. OR, don't do three minutes—three breaths will suffice. Aimee suggests doing this practice upon awakening, before getting out of bed to start your day.What is self-reiki, you ask? Well, jump on over to the episode to learn a

Sini Anderson, feminist activist and filmmaker Sini Anderson: A feminist filmmaker and activist, Sini was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2010 during production of her documentary, The Punk Singer. After watching her dear friend, Kathleen Hanna, battle Lyme disease and then—in a weird plot twist— battling it herself, Sini knew her next film was going to be about Lyme disease. Research commenced. Subjects were found. Interviews began. And then Sini realized that Lyme disease is a symptom of a much bigger problem: Women's health and the lack of gender equality in medicine. Join us as we discuss not only Lyme disease but the problem with healthcare and some of the reasons why women are ... so sick. Weekly Challenge: Last week was so fun! I found so much comfort in my friends, and I hope you did, too! This week is another emotional one: Take care of your inner-child! Love yourself full-time. In each moment, of each day, consider how you would treat yourself if you were a young, helpless child. (Would you feed him

Latisha, the baddest bitch in all the land What Happened: On an early December morning in 2001, Latisha S. was on  the receiving end of a random act of violence. A bullet to her neck at a bus station in East Harlem, NY, left Latisha paralyzed from the waist down. With two young children at home she had quite the journey ahead of her. Seventeen years later with experiences varying from extreme depression to unbelievable triumphs, Latisha lets us in on how she lives her very best life. I hope you feel as inspired as I do after listening to this episode!! **To contact Latisha, please reach out to me first and I will put you in touch. Weekly Challenge: “It’s ok to not be ok” Beautiful friends, this week's challenge is near and dear to my heart. It’s simple but totally life changing: Everyday take ten minutes— give or take— to tell someone how you feel (good, bad or indifferent). Tell a friend, a therapist, a family member, a support group, or find someone online who is experiencing a similar struggle as you. An

Kate Rentz, director, photographer and adventurer Kate Rentz: Kate Rentz is a director and photographer living in Los Angeles, CA.  She's enthusiastic about the outdoors, culture, travel, art, and human connection.  Kate was diagnosed with Lyme Disease in 2015 after suffering for 15+ years going undiagnosed. During those 15 years, Kate experienced extreme pain, insomnia, and brain fog which she complained about in countless doctor's offices. The diagnoses came back varying: Endometriosis,  IBS, and the infamous, "it's all in your head." Kate Rentz found the majority of her healing in Flagyl, herbs, ozone therapy, AND the great outdoors. IG: @katerentz The Weekly Challenge: This is new my friends so I hope you're on board for some change! My podcasts are now due to come out on Mondays and with each episode I will be releasing a "weekly challenge." But what IS  a weekly challenge!? It's something for you to do each day of that week that will contribute to your healing. Remember: Do not beat yourself up, we are

Michael Niss, California Board Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist. Director at Universal Family Wellness Clinic. East Asian Medicine (AKA Chinese Medicine): Acupuncture is growing in popularity in Western society—many insurance plans are even covering the treatments. While acupuncture is becoming more and more a part of our common vocabulary around health and wellness, I wondered how many people actually knew just what it was? It's just one facet of Traditional East Asian Medicine which combines needles, bodywork, nutrition, and herbs to treat an individual as a whole. Taking it one step further, East Asian Medicine is a lifestyle and practice. The study of Chinese Medicine is rigorous and vast. Therefore, many practitioners go on to specialize in one area or another, but it is most beneficial ( as far as I'm concerned) to have a full treatment and learn from your practitioner the different ways you can practice this 3,000 year old tradition outside of the office in a well-rounded way. I am an amazing acup

Natasha Cecere, self-advocacy hero    "You are allowed to be demanding and annoying about your health"    Self- Advocacy: This is a topic near and dear to my heart. Probably because it saved my life. I have always said that I am my own primary care-taker and everyone else is supplemental—including doctors. Someone I agree with once said, “the days of doctor knows best are OVER.” For the first episode of 2018, I chose to bring on Natasha Cecere a knowledgeable and fierce self-advocate. It’s the resolution time of year, many of you are grabbing life by the balls—taking control where you’ve regrettably released the reins. As far as I’m concerned life= HEALTH. Take your health into your own hands, don’t simply surrender your most precious self to the “white coats in charge.” In this episode, you’ll learn some easy self-advocacy tips and hopefully feel inspired to take control of your health. Natasha Cecere: After facing her own mortality due to a rare reaction to Hepatitis A, Natasha began educating herself

Me and Ian, March 2017 The Intimidating Combo of Romance and Illness: Ian and I met immediately after my Lyme diagnosis, but it was another six or seven months before I got really sick. Suddenly all of the adventurous stuff we had bonded over was no longer accessible to me. I remember panicking with my rapid decline: How could I keep up a relationship with seemingly nothing to offer? Who would want me? Surely Ian would leave me soon enough. I didn't have any of my old tricks to keep him around. But he didn’t leave. Beyond the obvious foundation of young love, there are reasons why we made it work. Work being the key word, unfortunately. It was hard, but it was worth it. I get asked the question of "how to romance with extreme illness" a lot. So much so that when Eva Fisher and I started Wellness Companions, we were quick to add “Navigating Romance” to our service roster. Having both been in serious relationships within our (serious) illnesses, we knew the strategies that deeply served us and our partners. An

Elina Fuhrman, creator of Soupelina "Cancer changed my life for the best...for sure" -Elina Fuhrman An Intro to Elina Fuhrman: Elina was in the best shape of her life when she grabbed her breasts in a moment of comical whimsy and felt a suspicious lump. That instant her whole life changed course—ultimately for the better. After sinking into a deep depression and surrendering to her potential death, Elina "woke up" when a brave friend showed her some tough love ("Yeah, cancer,  so, what're you gonna do about it?") Elina unfolded herself out of fetal position, wiped the tears from her eyes, and jumped into action. Navigating her cancer diagnosis with fierce strategy and self-trust, Elina slowly decided what treatments she would do and how: She was in charge of her healing path. As she learned more and more about the treatment possibilities from around the globe, Elina was inspired to cook for health and incorporate all of these different modalities in the kitchen—specifically into her soups. Soupelina (Sou

Targa Sahyoun The "Low" Immune System: There are many different versions of the low immune system story, none to be confused with autoimmune diseases (this is a completely separate topic). Today's particular story started while my guest was in utero. Before Targa Sahyoun came out of the womb, she received three full blood transfusions. (I know, right!?) Her mother had a blood disorder where her blood produced antibodies that were set to attack her fetus' red blood cells. With the blood transfusions, Targa survived, but was born three months premature, at just two pounds, Targa spent the first three months of her life in the incubator and was resuscitated seven times. (I know, right!?) She is a walking miracle, surviving with far less damage than initially expected—just the ol' low immunity. Targa battled varying degrees of illness all of her life—the worst bouts occurred at eight years old and 31 years old in the form of mono and meningitis. She was consistently treated with loads of antibiotics furthering h

Emily Wallace Energy Healing Have you wondered just what energy healing is? All of this "woo-woo" stuff gaining traction in 2017? (Especially here in Los Angeles.) Learn about shamanism, reiki, and other weird but magical things in this episode from two unlikely women. Emily Wallace "Once I committed to my emotional, mental, spiritual health that's when I started to thrive" -Emily Wallace Emily is a NYC based Intuitive Energy Healing Practitioner and Shamanic Reiki Master Teacher. After many years of battling chronic Lyme disease—visiting the hospital, bound to bed, not working, cared for at home by her parents—Emily found her way to 75% through antibiotics and various herbs and supplements. Desperate to do more than merely survive, Emily found energy healing. She was an unlikely client, poking fun at the whole thing. But, to her surprise, it worked. After surrendering to this modality she truly healed and stopped hearing from her symptoms. Today, Emily is thriving at 100% and, after getting certified at the