Ground & Root Podcast

Healing does not come in one official shape, and it does not require you to follow someone else’s map.  In today's episode we explore a different doorway that many people overlook: spirituality as connection, and connection as a lived relationship with your own body, breath, intuition, and sense of meaning.  My guest, Alejandro Salomone, is a spiritual guide, vision architect, and founder of...

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m eating well, I’m doing the protocols, I’m taking care of myself and I still feel stuck,” this conversation is for you.  We are continuing our conversation this month on the six doorways to healing by moving beyond the physical body and into nature, emotions, and spiritual connection as real, practical paths to energetic coherence. Here's some of what we're co...

Joy is not a luxury, it is biology. That’s the thread we pull with Tina Woods, a globally recognized longevity expert and social entrepreneur who started DJing at 60 and turned a dance floor into a living laboratory.  On today's episode we talk about why healing has many doorways, and why music, dancing, community, & joy might be one of the most underrated ways to support longevity, resil...

Your healing plan doesn’t need to be perfect, it needs to be yours.  This month on the podcast, we’re exploring a simple framework I'm calling the “Doorways to Healing”. It's built around one big idea: energetic coherence & finding the path that will enhance your coherence.  When your cells and systems communicate clearly across the physical body, the nervous system, and your emotion...

Your immune system doesn’t just need more support, it needs the right kind of support in the right order .  We’re continuing our cancer prevention and immune system series with a simple 3-step system we use with clients to rebalance immune function and strengthen cancer surveillance...without making your life feel like a full-time wellness project. Here's some of what we're covering toda...

Your immune system is doing quiet, relentless work every day, and when it struggles, it shows up as more than just “getting sick.” It can look like poor recovery, chronic inflammation, constant fatigue, or a body that can’t downshift out of stress long enough to heal. That’s why I’m so focused on immune function and immune surveillance as a core cancer prevention strategy, and why I wanted an expe...

Your immune system is not just your cold and flu defense. It is also your front line cancer prevention system, running immune surveillance every day to spot abnormal cells and clear them before they can take hold.  This month we are diving deeper into immune support and in today's episode we are starting with what happens when that surveillance weakens. We walk through how cancer can start fr...

A lump. A blunt doctor visit. Surgery scheduled days later. Brandon Weaver’s testicular cancer story starts fast, and what he did after recovery is even more interesting: he built a realistic system for reducing toxic load and supporting detox that he’s kept up for years.  In today's episode I sit down with Brandon to talk through what “surveillance” really looks like over time, how he stays...

Detox isn’t a product you buy or a weekend cleanse you “power through.” It’s the quiet, daily work of keeping your body’s drainage systems open so inflammation and toxins don’t linger, recirculate, and add to your cancer risk over time.  In today's episode we break down the six core detoxification pathways in a simple, practical way: lymph, liver, kidneys, colon, skin, and lungs. You’ll learn...

Your “clean” routine might be spotless in the kitchen and still toxic in the first aid drawer. We’re zooming in on one of the most overlooked cancer prevention strategies: lowering toxic burden from the products we rub into our skin when we’re burned, itchy, scraped up, breaking out, or just trying to “stay clean.” In today's episode I'm joined by Jodi Scott, founder and CEO of Green Goo...

A spring reset sounds nice until you realize how much “stuff” we’re exposed to every day.  We're kicking off a month-long focus on detox and cleansing with the true first step: awareness. Before we talk about supporting detoxification pathways, we have to get clear on what’s actually adding to your toxic burden and which exposures you can realistically reduce.  In today's episode we will...

A single cup of tea can be comfort, but it can also be strategy. On today's episode I’m joined by Maria Uspenski, founder of The Tea Spot and author of Cancer Hates Tea, for a conversation that starts with her ovarian cancer diagnosis and opens into the surprising science and daily practice of using tea for recovery, prevention, and calm. We get specific about what the research actually point...

Most “anti-cancer diet” advice either turns into fear-based restriction or becomes so vague it’s useless.  At Ground & Root we take a different path: a clear, balanced, research-informed way to nourish your body so it’s harder for cancer to grow...whether you’re actively in a cancer journey or focused on prevention and staying cancer free. In today's episode we break down our anti-cancer...

What if one small gland quietly shaped your energy, your immune surveillance, and your long-term cancer risk?  In today's episode we are joined again by guest expert Lauren Papanos to look at the thyroid’s role in metabolism, detox, and cellular defense & why eating for organ support is important in an anti-cancer nutrition plan. We break down what to test beyond TSH, how to interpret ear...

Are you tired for sifting through all the conflicting & confusing information online around diet & cancer prevention? With recommendation and arguments on every side of this debate...from Raw Vegan to Keto or Carnivore it can feel impossible to know which diet is best for you. In today's episode we strip nutrition down to what actually supports healing: a nutrient‑dense plate, smart m...

A cancer diagnosis at 27 can steal your breath. On today's episode we share Lauren’s path from stage III melanoma to a career blending ICU nursing with Reiki and sound therapy.  We dig into the practical side of Reiki & how it can downshift the nervous system. Then move into the benefits of sound therapy: crystal bowls that lift, metal gongs that move energy deep, & drums that mirror...

What if healing starts by teaching your body to feel safe again?  In today's episode we dig into the practical side of stress recovery and show how quick daily signals of safety—sunlight, slow breathing, grounding, gentle movement—can flip you from fight or flight into rest and repair.  When your nervous system settles, your immune system, sleep, digestion, and inflammation all shift in the r...

What if the turning point in cancer care isn’t another protocol, but a deeper conversation with your own nervous system and story?  In today's episode we sit down with Integrative Psychiatrist Tracy Peng, MD to explore how stress, trauma, and suppressed emotions shape the cancer journey and why mental health support is a core part of care.  We unpack the data on confidants and outcomes, the A...

Stress isn’t just a feeling you push past. It’s a biological signal that can suppress immune surveillance, push inflammation higher, and quietly set the stage for cancer risk and recurrence.  In today's episode we're digging into the science of how cortisol, adrenaline, and pro-inflammatory cytokines change the terrain of the body, from natural killer cell activity to blood sugar, sleep,...

In today's episode we sit down with therapist and endurance athlete Dean Hall for a raw, energizing, & inspiring story of resilience amidst a rare leukemia profile, profound grief, a lymphoma surge, & the unlikely decision to train for a 187-mile swim in 42-degree water.  Dean walks us through the exact choices that shifted his trajectory, healed both of his cancers, and transformed h...

What if the most powerful resilience practice costs nothing, fits any schedule, and turns your own cells into a repair squad?  In today's episode we dive into fasting as a practical, evidence-informed way to boost resilience, support treatment, and create a body environment where cancer struggles to thrive.  I share step-by-step strategies to help you start safely, build metabolic flexibility...

In today's episode we are continuing the conversation around building resilience by looking at how building muscle supports healthy aging, metabolic health, and cancer prevention.  I am joined by Kylie Fagnano who shares clear steps for safe strength training, protein targets, and short, effective HIIT sessions you can repeat for life. Here is some of what we cover: • muscle as a longevity or...

In today's episode we kick off the new year by reframing your 2026 health goals around using hormesis to build resilience and explain how controlled, short stressors can strengthen immunity, mood, cellular repair, & more! We share practical ways to use cold, heat, fasting, and exercise to build a body and mind that bend without breaking. • defining resilience as stable function under stre...

As we welcome in this last day of 2025, let's talk about setting intentions that will actually stick. New Year's Resolutions rarely fail because you lack willpower—they fail because they’re built on an overloaded life and a dysregulated nervous system.  We flip the script with a five-step intention-setting framework designed to support healing, prevent burnout, and make healthy changes l...

In today's episode, on Christmas Eve, we pause for a year-end ritual that helps us reflect honestly, release what no longer serves, and welcome a healthy, aligned start to 2026. Here's some of what we're covering in today's episode: • why reflection precedes effective goal-setting • ten guided questions for your year-end review What did I learn? (skills, knowledge, awareness, e...