The Refined Hippie

Ep 27: The mind is a powerful thing, but we've only just begun to truly understand its power. I know first hand the impact it can have on one's health, whether that be in causing suffering or alleviating it. On today's episode I chat about the impact our minds have over our physical body. We go over some good examples, people, and books that show its impact as well as the placebo and "nocebo" effe...

Ep 26: The practice of yoga is a deeply personal one, resonating differently for us all. Kelly Jean Moore credits her own discovery of yoga to not only saving her life, but helping her to truly live and escape the self destructive path she was on. Kelly Jean experienced a lot of trauma as a child and subsequently had some turbulent years as a teenager and young adult. However, in her early twentie...

Ep 25: How can one become a joyful vegan and stay that way? Today's guest, Colleen Patrick Gordreau, has been vegan for 20 years. Colleen's an advocate for plant-based eating, speaker, commentator, podcaster, and award winning author of 7 books. Her newest book, The Joyful Vegan: How to Stay Vegan in a World that Wants You to Eat Meat, Dairy, and Eggs, gives readers the wisdom, tools, and tips to...

Ep 24: Dealing with health problems at any age is not pleasant, but when they affect small children it's even more disheartening. Today's guest, Lucy Hermiston, has had her share of health issues and from a very young age. She dealt with eczema, inflamed sinuses, chronic tonsillitis, and juvenile arthritis all before the age of 15. Little relief was found until experimenting with the removal of ce...

Ep 23: The Blue Zones have been getting a lot of attention lately and for good reason. These very special regions are home to some of the healthiest and longest living people on the planet. But what about all those who don't live in these distinct areas? How can we incorporate their lifestyles to live long and healthy too? On this episode we dive into the Blue Zones, where they are, and what behav...

Ep 22: The word deficiency comes up a lot from outside sources when someone goes plant-based or vegan. But I’m here to break it all down for you! Deficiencies are common among ALL Americans, meat eaters and vegans alike. On this episode we go over what those deficiencies are, how we can avoid them, and what foods we can consume to make sure we're balanced. The most prevalent issues in America come...

Ep 21: What is lifestyle medicine? What and where are the Blue Zones? How can lifestyle choices effect our health? We get to all these questions and more with Dr. Renae Thomas, a senior resident and lifestyle representative in Loma Linda, California's Family and Preventative medicine residency combined program. Renae's interest in nutrition and medicine started at a young age after her dad was dia...

Ep 20: Making a lifestyle change can be difficult. It can take us some time to get adjusted and get it right! Going plant-based is definitely one of those lifestyle changes that can prove to be challenging at first in our current culture. Charleston artist, John Duckworth, was not exempt from this feeling when he first went plant-based. Before fully committing John did try some different diets. Ho...

Ep 19: Microbiome. Gut Health. These are hot topics these days and for good reason. The health of our gut dictates the well-being of our entire bodies. But this is fairly new information. The term microbiome wasn't even coined until 2006. Up until that point scientists didn't give the bacteria in out GI tracts much more thought. Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, AKA Dr. B, is a board certified gastroenterologi...

Ep 18: Keeping our bodies happy and healthy is a multifaceted approach. We can't just eat a bunch of greens and call it a day. There can sometimes be factors effecting our well being that we've overlooked, particularly that of our nervous system. The nerves in our spine are connected to different organs and when they are under pressure can cause not only pain but organ disfunction. Everything from...

Ep 17: How many of us ladies have taken birth control pills? How many of us have had hormone concerns? I took BC for years trying to clear up my acne and relieve some of my PMS symptoms. Little did I know that they were actually causing my body harm and just covering up a deeper issue. On this episode of the podcast I chat with Gene Blake, a nurse practitioner at Rhett Women's Center. We talk abou...

Ep 16: Eating healthy should be important to all of us, but when we're ill it should become first priority! Amor Healing Kitchen is there for people facing serious health challenges, preparing delicious, nutritious, and healthy meals delivered right to their door. Who makes these wonderful meals? Volunteer teen chefs. The founder, Maria Kelly, had been a high school teacher for 15 years.  After le...

Ep 15: On this episode I sit down with my good friend and fellow Holistic Health Coach, Elizabeth Kuntz. After taking a nutrition course in college, Elizabeth found a new passion. She went on to study with IIN, Institute of Integrative Nutrition and now works with clients to help them form healthy habits, encouraging them through diet change, exercise, and being supportive in guiding them to reach...

Ep 14: I love plants! I can't get enough of them. I also love talking about the benefits of eating plant-based and what this type of lifestyle can do for ones health. But there's actually another reason why I choose to eat this way, perhaps the most important reason for me spiritually. Not only was it one of the best decisions of my life, but it really does align with my soul. On this episode of t...

Ep 13: My road to holistic health wasn't quick and it wasn't easy! After getting an autoimmune disease, seemingly out of the blue, I tried pharmaceutical drugs. However, I quickly learned they weren't the answer for me when my symptoms actually worsened from their use. I began doing some research and found others who had healed themselves through diet and lifestyle change. And so my road to healin...

Why don’t diets work long term? Can a lifestyle change be what we ultimately need to keep us at that desired weight? On this episode of the podcast I chat with Helen Hall, the founder and creator of Hushup and Hustle, a lifestyle and wellness brand, and Blender Bombs, a product that has taken the smoothie world by storm in just 2 short years. After gaining an unwelcome 30 pounds, Helen was despera...

How can we bring back a sense of community? Can we heal the current alienation our society is feeling? What role does food play in our ability to connect with others? I recently sat down with the super passionate Renee Orth to chat about all things community, food, and bringing back the connection we’ve lost with ourselves, other humans, and Mother Earth. Renee doesn’t consider herself an activist...

Ep: 010 - Litisha is a Wholistic Food Practitioner, Living Food/Vegan Food Chef, motivational speaker, living lifestyle/health coach, and detoxification specialist. Her journey began when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in the late 90’s. As Litisha started researching, she learned that her mother’s illness (and most others out there) had a lot do with the food we eat. It was then that...

Ep: 009 - Shannon Leparski is a certified hormone specialist, plant-based enthusiast, blogger, and face behind The Glowing Fridge, a website devoted to women's wellness and plant-based recipes. She's also, most recently, become a published author of The Happy Hormone Guide. After watching in horror a documentary about the true nature of the animal agriculture industry, Shannon become a plant-based...

Ep: 008 - Got Milk? That campaign has been forever solidified in our minds. Dairy milk truly is the perfect liquid. That is, if you’re a calf! Through my research and quest for optimal health I found knocking dairy from my diet to be a no-brainer. But why? We’ve been told for decades that milk does the body good. However, the recent research and science says otherwise. Because of this, many countr...

Ep: 007 - Derek McKee is a windsurfer, yogi, web developer, and plant-based advocate. He also struggled with some serious sinus and back problems from a very young age. There were days in college that he couldn’t even get out of bed because of his excruciating back pain. From the suggestion of his sister, Derek sought to alleviate his suffering with yoga. Through his practice he saw profound benef...

Ep: 006 - Protein. Where do you get yours from? Are you getting enough? Too much? This is a hot topic these days. Advertising and marketing has us obsessed with protein. Many are under the impression that more is better, but that couldn't be further from the truth. On this episode we dive into protein, what it is, how much we should be getting, and what happens when we get too much. We chat about...

Ep: 005 - Ann Miller, herbalist, licensed massage therapist, clinical aromatherapist, and holistic practitioner, is no stranger to dealing with and overcoming illness. Personally, she's spent almost a decade in and out of doctors, coming back with either no diagnoses or incorrect ones. A chance encounter with a stranger helped finally put the puzzle pieces together...she had Lyme Disease. But Ann'...

Ep: 004 - Gut microbiome health is a hot topic these days, but that hasn't always been the case. It wasn't until 2001 that scientist learned and started studying the role our gut bacteria plays. While it is still a growing field, we do know that it effects many areas of our health, including our immunity, depression, and weight. The gut even communicates with our brains in what is called the gut-b...

Ep: 003 - Kate Moon, lululemon ambassador, yoga instructor, and Director of Yoga at Hylo Fitness, is a beacon of light and love in this world. She has overcome over a decade of addiction to come through on the other side to find a fulfilling life she could never have dreamt of. Yoga opened up a whole new life for her, helping to heal her body, mind, and spirit from years of pain. We chat about her...