The Refined Hippie

Ep 52: The holidays are upon us and so if my 5th holiday season as a plant-based vegan! I've been reflecting lately on this journey and some of the main and even random things that I've learned along the way. On this episode I chat about them which include dealing with friends and family, protein, cashews, my relationship with food, and more.  IG: @therefinedhippie www.therefinedhippie.com

Ep 51: Water. It's vital for all life on this planet. Yet much of the fresh water these days is contaminated. The tap water in the US has been shown to contain over 300 chemicals and pollutants according the Environmental Working Group. What gives? On this episode of the podcast we explore the various pollutants ruining the water in this country and much of the modern world. These include (but are...

Ep 50: Superfoods are a hot new topic. There are many foods that classified as such, but none hold a candle to algae! This chlorophyll rich plant is the most nutrient dense on the planet, containing all essential amino acids, the highest concentration of protein, iron, beta carotene, and antioxidants, as well as B-vitamins, electrolytes, and omega 3's.  Today's guest knows everything there is abou...

On this episode of the podcast I chat with Michelle Cehn, creator of World of Vegan, and Toni Okamoto, from Plant-based on a Budget, all about veganism. These two are trailblazers in the plant-based vegan community who've been creating content for over a decade, including videos, books, cookbooks, e-books, and other resources for those wanting to take a more compassionate and veggie-focused approa...

Ep 48: For thousands of years humans have used different modalities to heal the body. Herbalists, nutritionists, homeopaths, naturopaths, were all common place in society up until the early 1900's until things started to shift towards our current paradigm which focuses on pharmaceutical drugs. On this episode we explore modern (Western) medicine, who, why, and when this all began.   www.therefined...

Ep 47: America is one of the most unhealthy countries on the planet. We spend more per capita on healthcare than any other nation, yet we're still one of the sickest. What gives? Three words…Standard American Diet (aka SAD diet). Our nations way of eating and living is making us sicker and sicker, but how did we get to this place? On this episode we explore the various causes that helped create ou...

Ep 46: After being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at 13, Katie Mickolwin spent years dealing with her ailment and taking different pharmaceuticals. Eventually she discovered others who had healed their autoimmune diseases and decided to give it a try. She enrolled in the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and began studying holistic health. Not only was she able to heal her body, but she fo...

Ep 45: Literally every aspect of our lives involves plastic. It's everywhere! Over 80,000 tons of plastic is thrown out every DAY just in the USA and of that only 5% ever gets recycled. The rest ends up in landfills and oceans. What type of impact is that having not only on our planet, but our bodies as well?! On this episode we explore the rise of plastic, what it is, and how we became so depende...

Ep 44: My path to becoming a holistic lifestyle and wellness coach came about from my own traumatic experience of healing an autoimmune disease. After spending years exploring and learning about nutrition, gut microbiome health, and the mind-body-spirit connection, I finally had success and was healing my body. I decided to take this new knowledge and help others. Today I chat about my story, why...

Ep 43: On today's episode we chat with one of my closest friends, April Duckworth, about some of her most profound life experiences. April became a vegetarian at an early age, but her relationship with food wasn't in a good place. She struggled with an eating disorder for over a decade and it wasn't until she became a plant-based vegan that her relationship with food totally shifted. However, beca...

I believe for situations to get better they often have to get worse. Messes have to be made and issues have to be addressed for them to ever stand a chance at getting better. Today is a quick little episode reflecting on the current state of affairs and I share my thoughts about the riots, racism, anti-racism, BLM, veganism, and finding compassion for ALL beings on this planet. I also chat about w...

Chances are when someone brings up the word diabetes you can name a loved one effected by this life altering disease. That’s because we have an epidemic on our hands in America. Over 30 million people have diabetes, with 1 in 4 not even knowing they have it all! 1/3 of all adults in US have prediabetes and in just 20 short years the number of adults diagnosed has doubled. But there are different t...

Ep 40: Maggie Griner, my first every guest on this podcast, returns for another chat and a lot has changed! She is now a new mom! Maggie and I chat all about her experience navigating motherhood, natural birth, expectations, and what she's learned. We also get into the challenges she faced within the first year, breastfeeding, and trying to find a healthy nutritious plant-based baby formula. We co...

Ep 39: Today’s guest, Sarah Megrue, has had quite the health journey. After slowly becoming ill in her late twenties, experiencing a whole host of symptoms including hair loss, anemia, and digestive distress, doctors didn’t have an answer for her. She bounced from different doctors and even tried the Mayo Clinic, but got little to no relief or direction. Eventually she found a functional doctor wh...

Ep 38: Going plant-based can be daunting at first. It can prove to be even more of a  challenge when trying to get ones whole family on board. For Liz Wood, the shift came slowly. However, the decision became imperative when her daughter started experiencing major digestive issues. After doing her own research as well as getting help from a nutritionist, her daughter's issues were relieved by goin...

Ep 37: When it comes to protecting our bodies from illness the immune system is our first line of defense! It helps distinguish the good from the bad, friend or foe. While there are vital nutrients necessary to its function, there are also things that can cause its depletion. On today's episode we go over the vital nutrients that help our immune system function at its best, where to find them, alo...

Ep 36: We sure are living in strange times and emotions seem to be all over the board. Some people are panicking, while others seem calm and collected. Either way the amount of fear, anxiety, and panic surrounding the current state of affairs cannot to overlooked. We’re all being affected by it, not just through the disruption of our daily lives and jobs, but mentally. Trying to manage this stress...

Ep 35: It's been decided, we're moving to California! My husband and I have been wanting to move away from Charleston for quite some time and we're now finally taking the leap! I answer the how, why, when, and where about this life altering change. I also chat about the coronavirus, how long it's been around, where it came from, the impact it's had on the world and economy, and how wildlife market...

Ep 34: The gluten-free product market was an estimated $22 billion dollar industry in 2019. It’s projected to increase 9% over the next 5 years. People all over are going gluten-free for different reasons other than celiac disease. Some think they might have an allergy or a sensitivity. But could the real concern lie somewhere else? On today’s episode we chat about the herbicide glyphosate and wha...

Ep 33: Khet Waas Hutip is an herbalist, holistic nutrition counselor, and certified spiritual counselor. Like many of us his road to holistic health came about from his own health issues. As a teenager Khet had terrible asthma and allergies; he couldn’t even mow the grass and while most teenagers would have been happy to get out of that chore, Khet was alarmed. He knew it wasn’t “normal” to have s...

Ep 32: Medicinal mushrooms are so amazing, but what are they exactly? And why are they so revered? On this episode we learn all about them from a mushroom expert who's been in the business for almost 50 years.  Jeff Chilton’s been a key figure in creating the booming medicinal mushroom market. He’s also the owner of Nammex , the first ever to offer a line of certified organic mushroom extracts in...

Ep 31: Have you heard of human design? It's definitely a buzzword these days and on this episode of the podcast we learn all about it from Cortney Ostrosky! Cortney is a multi-passionate massage therapist and yoga instructor, having hosted retreats and workshops all over the world! Most recently she's become super inspired by human design, giving readings to help others discover their true potenti...

Ep. 30: I can’t believe it, 2019 is about to be over and so is this decade; I’m recapping and reflecting on both. A lot sure has happened over these last 10 years, good and bad. I chat about what I’ve learned, activism, self love, empathy, being a highly sensitive person (HSP), and my intentions for 2020! www.therefinedhippie.com IG: @therefinedhippie

Ep 29: It's estimated that our subconscious controls 90% of our minds. These thought patterns are influenced and shaped through our upbringing, programming, and even ancestors. Transforming these beliefs can often be crucial in healing, not just our minds, but our bodies as well. Olga Mejia has seen its impact first hand with her own life and those of her clients. Olga's lived and traveled all ove...

Ep 28: We're in the midst of a current health crisis. Autism, cancer, autoimmune diseases have been skyrocketing over the past few decades. These are considered the canaries in the coal mine, warning us of the great danger coming from our food, lifestyles, and environment. Tiffany Jackson is a Naturopathic Doctor and owner of EcoHealth Wellness Center and Detox Spa in Charleston, SC. Over the past...