Be Well by Kelly Leveque

Have we been analyzing obesity wrong this whole time?  Investigative science and health journalist Gary Taubes knocked the medical world for six when he boldly claimed that America’s chronic obesity issue was a hormone problem, not an overeating one. His first two books, Good Calories, Bad Calories and Why We Get Fat punctured the traditional belief that a low-fat diet is the answer to optimal hea...

With tech and screen time taking up most of our day, it’s crucial to implement healthy screen time habits with kids. Until now, the conversation has been focused on teenagers, but as first-generation parents navigating the digital world – and relying on iPads to get us through tantrums – it’s time we started setting healthy boundaries much earlier.  Jennifer and Kay created Tech-Wise Littles to bu...

Dr. Drew Ramsey is on a mission to get our brains into grow mode with mood-optimizing foods. Through Nutritional Psychiatry, he’s supporting brain and body health with inclusive information that chooses science over shaming to dial us into happy food routines.  What we eat has a knock-on effect on our physical and cognitive capabilities. In this episode, we dive into revolutionary research into he...

If you scrolled through her Instagram page a few years ago, television host Poppy Jamie was living the dream – but on the inside, she was unraveling. After stress sent her to hospital, she re-examined her priorities, purpose, and thought processes. She decided to create an approachable and accessible platform to help people manage their wellbeing, and the Happy Not Perfect app was born.  In this e...

70% of the immune system sits in the gut, but our 21st-century diet of processed food, poor sleep, and stress is reaping havoc with our gut and overall health.  Gastroenterologist, neuroscientist and author, Dr. Emeran Mayer has done all the years of rigorous research for us, and the current gut climate is not looking good. Chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson'...

Dr. Pejman Katiraei has spent years using his curious mind and expertise across allopathic and holistic medicine to explore chronic conditions such as lupus, colitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, memory problems, ADHD, anxiety, and IBS in profound depth. An initial consultation with him lasts 1.5 hours, and it doesn't take long to understand why!  In this episode, he explains why diseas...

Sitting on the couch can sometimes turn into a self-pity session where you spin out on everything going wrong in your life. Rarely do we make space to find wellness in illness, but Positive Psychiatrist, Dr. Samantha Boardman, is changing the traditional therapy conversation.  We discuss the unique and accessible ways to invite vibrancy and joy in your life and why perfection isn’t a priority when...

If you could find a diet that didn’t make you or your family feel hungry or “hangry,” why wouldn’t you choose it? Adult internist,  pediatrician, and founder of Well-Being, Dr. Allison Hull, lifts the lid on real ketogenic nutrition that empowers our bodies and minds to make the right food decisions without feeling like we’re making sacrifices. Her comprehensive 12-week program re-routes our relat...

Leading holistic child psychologist, bestselling author, and mom of four, Dr. Nicole Beurkens, brings a holistic approach to the world of children's mental and body health with effective, research-based strategies that get to the root cause. America's children are battling more behavioral issues than ever before. Parents are on edge and so are their kids. And tech, lack of sleep, and the pandemic...

Dr. Cindy Hovington gives parenting advice backed by science on her wonderful blog, The Curious Neuron, which helps parents create a safe container for their young children to thrive.  Conscious parenting is often easier said than done, especially when your kid is learning to express themselves vocally. Taking emotional cues from tears and fighting is hard, but Cindy breaks down the different ways...

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus have transformed the lives of over 20 million people by helping declutter their homes and strive for a more meaningful existence through their brand, “The Minimalists.” In this episode, we explore how to make room for the essential elements in your life by being intentional with your purchasing power and evaluating your checklist of the things you need in...

It took years of trial and error for Dr. Becky Campbell to discover she suffered from Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, a condition which meant her body couldn’t break down histamines. Certain foods – even the “healthy” ones – would leave her with a crippling migraine or feeling exhausted. Extreme heat and cold were also big no-nos.  The game changed when she began to explore histamine intolerance th...

It’s hard to believe that holistic psychiatrist, Dr. Kelly Brogan, spent the initial segment of her career connecting mental issues to the “right” pharmaceutical prescriptions. After a U-turn in 2010, she replaced the prescription pad for a root-cause resolution approach to psychiatric syndromes and symptoms. Now, she encourages her community to turn inward, using nutrition, lifestyle, and meditat...

Whole Foods Market first opened its doors in 1980 with the mission to push the dialogue around food, nourishment, and the environment.  Forty-one years later, Whole Foods Market has set the gold standard for high-quality food retail, and rigorous Quality Standards have been integrated into almost everything the company does. Behind the aisles, Jamie Yael Katz (who started her career as a Whole Foo...

I’m so excited to be connecting with this week’s guest: economics professor and author, Emily Oster. Having devoured her first two books on pregnancy, Expecting Better and Cribsheet, I couldn’t wait to read her newest masterpiece. The Family Firm, an exploration of how to parent the early school years, did not disappoint. I knew I had to have her on the show to delve deeper into the subject of run...

LMFT and CEO of Okay Humans, Christy Desai, is transforming the conversation and experience of going to therapy with an innovative talk therapy concept that’s customer-forward, inviting and accessible. Collaborating with the founders of Drybar and Squeeze, Okay Humans is normalizing seeking help by helping people embrace therapy as part of their wellness journey.  It’s ok to not be ok, but you don...

Dr. Austin Perlmutter builds the bridge between traditional health education and execution by examining how our ability to make good choices, not only has a knock on effect on dietary decisions but on our mental health as well. When we know that fruits and veggies are the key to health, why do we still reach for the cake? And more importantly, how do we remedy this? In this episode, we unpack how...

Dr. Tyler Jean has experimented with just about every food identity out there. As a college athlete, he lived by the nickname “Protein Jean” before doing a complete 180° and building an Instagram following based on plant-based eating. Now, he combines the best of the vegan and Paleo lifestyles to empower his patients as a naturopathic doctor.  We dive into the foundations of good health, exploring...

Happiness often feels like an unattainable, non-tangible thing that’s out of reach for many of us. We’re stuck on the sidelines waiting for X to happen so we can feel the highest expression of humanity: happiness.  This week’s guest Tal Ben-Shahar is a happiness expert who has drilled down the scientific roots of the emotion we all strive to feel. We break down the elements of happiness, the neura...

Parents dread the moment their kids go through the picky eater phase. It’s tough when they turn their nose up at a well-balanced meal packed with nutrients while their eyes sparkle at the pre-packaged snacks in the supermarket aisle.  Pediatric nutritionist and mama, Edwena Kennedy, spent two years researching and implementing unique hacks (using her own toddlers as guinea pigs) to bring joy and b...

Dr. Ana-Maria Temple's personal journey is an inspiring pain-to-purpose tale so many mothers out there can relate to. Exhausted from the dead end approach of traditional medicine to treat her young children's allergies, asthma, and severe eczema, she purged her family pantry, much to the disapproval of the medical and mommy world, and transformed her family's food and lifestyle habits. She single-...

Healthcare game changer, James Maskell, is softening the friction and disconnect between traditional medical professionals and functional medicine through community, accountability, and root cause resolutions for chronic illness. It began in 2015 when he created The Functional Forum: the world’s largest practitioner conference. After witnessing firsthand the power of community in healing outcomes...

Dr. Joan Ifland has dedicated 25 years to helping people release their iron-tight addiction and consequential suffering from processed foods.  I love Dr. Joan’s work because it’s built from a place of kindness. There’s no shaming or shortcuts in her slow-and-steady solution that puts our minds on track to make the food decisions that make us happy and healthy.  Today we uncover how societal condit...

It took Dr. Will Siu 15 years of medical training and a slew of certifications from UCLA, the University of Oxford, and Harvard Medical School before realizing he was not truly happy. After years chasing happiness and career gratification through hoops dictated by what he defines as “perceived values,” he found himself depressed, empty, and searching for true purpose.  After encountering the world...

In today’s episode, Dr. Carrie Jones demystifies female and male hormonal issues by shining a light on the most common symptoms and challenges she sees her clients go up against.  We’re a generation of hormonally-challenged individuals who’ve spent too long brushing symptoms off as “just the way things are.” To make matters worse, testing is time sensitive and so the hormonal cycle can find itself...