Dr. Monica Aggarwal, Author at Dr. Monica Aggarwal

Lessons for a BETTER WORLD with Ocean Robbins

Blog, Podcast, Seeking Voices: Exploring the Science of Health and Healing / September 29, 2024

How does the grandson of the Baskin Robbins empire become a plant-based educator, believer and CEO of the food revolution network?

Meet Ocean Robbins and join me as we chat about his journey and where he is making a difference.

Key Areas We Discuss

What is it to follow your own star?
What are three things you were taught growing up?
Do we naturally have the “inherent desire to serve?” Are we born with compassion?
Have you considered Maslov’s hierarchy of needs?
What does healthy living look like to you
Is there a point where you can’t change your diet?
Have you considered compassionate care of animals?

About Ocean Robbins:

Grandson of Irv Robbins, cofounder of Baskin-Robbins Ice cream, Ocean Robbins is co-founder & CEO of the million-member Food Revolution Network. He is author of the bestsellers, 31-Day Food Revolution and Real Superfoods. Ocean founded Youth for Environmental Sanity (YES!) at age 16, and directed it for the next 20 years. He has spoken in person to more than 250,000 people, organized online seminars and events reaching more than a million, and facilitated leadership development events for leaders from 65 nations. He has served as adjunct professor for Chapman University, and is a recipient of the national Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service, the Freedom’s Flame Award, the Harmon Wilkinson Award, and many other honors. His TEDx talk, Eating Our Way To Happiness, has been seen by more than a million people.

Lessons for a BETTER WORLD with Ocean Robbins Read More »

Preparing for the Fragile Years with Amy O’Rourke

Blog, Podcast, Seeking Voices: Exploring the Science of Health and Healing / July 19, 2024

Have you considered how you want to age and how you want to die? How do you make sure that you focus on quality and not quantity of life?

Meet Amy O’Rourke who is an aging specialist and care advisor for families as they age. She has written a great book called The Fragile Years that I highly recommend for anyone has an aging parent.

Key Areas We Discuss

Why are we in an “Aging Crisis”?
What are the fragile years, and how do you know if a loved one is there?
How do you prepare to enter the fragile years?
How do you reconcile aging with dignity and aging safely?
What is the best way to age? In place? Around family? In nursing care? What if “aging in place” is unsafe and parents don’t want to move because of friends and they are where they have always been?
How do we make peace with aging and dying?
How to avoid becoming a burnt out caregiver?
What is a good death?
3 things can we take away to do a better job with our aging and our parents’ aging?

About Amy O’Rourke:

Amy O’Rourke who is a dedicated care manager with a passion for helping people & their loved ones find peace and joy as they age. Amy is the author of The Fragile Years and founder of O’Rourke & Associates, formerly The Cameron Group established in 1999. She believes our elder years can provide a beautiful opportunity for connection, meaning, and joy. Amy has over 40 years of experience as an owner of a Care Management company, and Administrator in a Lifeplan community. She has her Master’s Degree in Public Health and a Master’s Certificate in Gerontology.

Just a few highlights:

Speaker — TEDxOrlando (2012, 2015)
Featured expert — Consumer Reports article, Elder Care and Assisted Living: Who Will Care for You?
Featured expert — Emmy-winning TV show on Assisted Living, Blindsided
Featured expert — Growing Bolder articles, TV segments, and radio broadcast

Amy wrote The Fragile Years (2021) to provide important information for people who need help managing the care of their loved one, defining this stage as The Fragile Years. An easy, accessible resource, this book offers practical steps and clear insights on how to navigate frustratingly complex systems, difficult choices, and emotional events.

Preparing for the Fragile Years with Amy O’Rourke Read More »

Explore How the Seeds We Grow Impact Human Health with John Rivers

Blog, Podcast, Seeking Voices: Exploring the Science of Health and Healing / June 4, 2024

Why Should You Care how Food is grown? What could that possibly have to do with your health?

Meet Mr. John Rivers, the founder and owner for 4Rivers smokehouses in Southeast Florida. Through his foundation, he and his wife have started a nonprofit farm called 4Roots Farm that is focuses on unearthing the power of food for human health.

Key Areas We Discuss

Dirt versus Soil?
Why should You care about this?
Have you considered how the health of our soil can impact your health?

About John Rivers:

Following a 20-year career in healthcare, John Rivers retired as President of a billion dollar company to pursue a dream of owning a restaurant. Opening in 2009, 4 Rivers Smokehouse quickly grew to a portfolio that includes 23 restaurants, and a national retail and wholesale presence. 4 Rivers went on to be named “The South’s Best BBQ” by Southern Living and ranked the “#1 BBQ Restaurant Chain” by MSN.

Born out of John’s garage, the “Barbeque Ministry” remains at the heart of the company’s mission to lift up those in need and help build better communities. The culmination of the 4R Foundation’s work, the Orlando based 4Roots Farm serves as an Orlando icon to inspire revolutionary change in Florida’s food system through education in sustainable farming practices, advancements in agriculture technology, and research in culinary health.

John has been named one of the Restaurant Industry’s Power 20 Leaders by Restaurant Business & News, Restauranter of the Year by Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Orlando Magazine’s “50 Most Powerful, 15 to Watch.” John had the honor of cooking at the prestigious James Beard House and was twice named a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

John serves on the Boards of Florida State University and the Rosen School of Hospitality at UCF and is a member the Florida Governor’s Council of 100. A recipient of the FSU College of Business, and Rosen College Hospitality Hall of Fame Awards, John lives in Winter Park with his wife and two children and is involved in numerous school, church, and local charity organizations.

https://4rootsfarm.org

Explore How the Seeds We Grow Impact Human Health with John Rivers Read More »

Learning to Age Beautifully and Live with Vitality. A Chat with Chef Babette Davis.

Blog, Podcast, Seeking Voices: Exploring the Science of Health and Healing / February 26, 2024

What is the difference between aging well and simply aging? Have you considered what longevity means and what aging means without vitality?

Meet Babette Davis, globally recognized plant-based chef, fitness enthusiast and motivational speaker who calls Inglewood, CA home.

Key Areas We Discuss

Fitness and aging
The role of plant based eating in Chef Babette’s life
Chef Babette’s aging secrets
The fear of aging
Supplements
How to motivate change
A day in the life of Chef Babette
How to live your best life

About Chef Babette Davis:

Meet Babette Davis, globally recognized plant-based chef, fitness enthusiast and motivational speaker who calls Inglewood, CA home. She pioneered the first plant-based restaurant, “Stuff I Eat” in her community in the early 2000’s where she still receives visitors from around the world. Once a hairstylist, Babette became a self-taught chemist in the kitchen, perfecting eating healthy while keeping the flavor of her dishes the focal point. Her combination of thoughtful food preparation with an intense fitness regimen has made her one of the most sought-after experts in her field. While in her 70s, she motivates people of all ages to live their best life.

Learning to Age Beautifully and Live with Vitality. A Chat with Chef Babette Davis. Read More »

The Science of Fat with Dr. William Li

Blog, Podcast, Seeking Voices: Exploring the Science of Health and Healing / January 28, 2024

Have you ever wondered about why you can’t lose weight? Have you thought that your metabolism is just too slow to lose weight?

Join me as I speak to Dr. William Li, physician, scientist and bestselling author of “Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself” and “Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer”

Key Areas We Discuss

Dr. William Li’s book: Eat to Beat your diet. How to lose weight by eating healthy foods. How losing weight will help you live a longer life.
What is metabolism and is there such a thing as a fast and slow metabolism?
Fat has a negative connotation. What are preadipocytes and adipocytes? What happens when your preadipocytes become overactive? Why is fat important?
Are there foods that rein in your preadipocytes?
How does fat related to regeneration?
How is fat tied to the gut?
What is the gut bug akkermansia mucinophila? What increases that in our body?
What is visceral fat versus subC fat? What do these look like on the body? Is one better than the other? Why?

About Dr. William Li:

William W. Li, MD, is an internationally renowned physician, scientist and author of the New York Times bestseller “Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself.” His groundbreaking research has led to the development of more than 30 new medical treatments that impact care for more than 70 diseases including diabetes, blindness, heart disease and obesity. His TED Talk, “Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?” has garnered more than 11 million views. Dr. Li has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, CNBC, Rachael Ray and Live with Kelly & Ryan, and he has been featured in USA Today, Time Magazine, The Atlantic, O Magazine and more. He is President and Medical Director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, and he is leading global initiatives on food as medicine. His newest book New York Times bestseller, “Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer,” was released March 21, 2023.

The Science of Fat with Dr. William Li Read More »

Winning with Diabetes: Inspiring stories to help you thrive

Blog, Podcast, Seeking Voices: Exploring the Science of Health and Healing / December 16, 2023

Diabetes does not need to hold you back! Dr. Mark Corriere and Dr. Rita Kalyani are both diabetes specialists who have written a lovely book called Winning with Diabetes: Inspiring stories to help you thrive which we discuss in great depth.

Essential reading for people who have diabetes and their families, Winning with Diabetes highlights the challenges, perseverance, and successes of sixteen elite athletes living with the disease. From mountain climber Will Cross, to college softball champion Kylee Perez, to NBA legend Dominique Wilkins, and many more, these are the real-life stories of diagnosis, adapting new day-to-day routines, finding support, training, competing, and connecting with communities of other people living with diabetes. The book features advice for facing common fears and challenges, both on and off the playing field. Each chapter includes interviews with athletes about their experiences, paired with expert commentary from the authors. Chapters also include summaries of key concepts, along with illustrations and other graphics. Winning with Diabetes will inspire readers of all ages—those newly diagnosed as well as those who have lived with diabetes for years. Written by physicians who have set the standards for management of the disease, this book brings you expert insight into finding ways to live your best life. Let the experts, the athletes, and the inspiration in Winning with Diabetes give you what you need to you stay in the game.

Key Areas We Discuss

What is diabetes? Type I versus Type II?
What organs are involved in creation of diabetes?
How does fat contribute to diabetes?
How do you treat diabetes?
What is the deal with newer GLP-1 agonist drugs (such as Ozempic) for diabetes and for weight loss?
Are there lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your blood sugars?
What is the deal with continuous glucose monitoring for the average adult, not diabetic?

About Dr. Mark Corriere and Dr. Rita Kalyani:

Dr. Mark D. Corriere, MD (BALTIMORE, MD), is an adjunct assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a clinical endocrinologist at Maryland Endocrine. Dr. Rita R. Kalyani, MD, MHS (BALTIMORE, MD), is an associate professor of medicine and a diabetes specialist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is the past chair of the American Diabetes Association’s committee that establishes the standards of medical care for all people with diabetes. Kalyani and Corriere are coauthors of Diabetes Head to Toe: Everything You Need to Know about Diagnosis, Treatment, and Living with Diabetes. Patrick Smith (BALTIMORE, MD) is a biomedical science writer at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of Extra Innings: The Joy and the Pains of Over-30 Baseball

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Building Resilience & Steps to Overcoming Anxious Feelings

Blog, Podcast, Seeking Voices: Exploring the Science of Health and Healing / October 19, 2023

Anxiety affects 31% of the American population and this number is increasing. People are noticing more and more anxious feelings, nervousness, depression and inability to cope with day to day activities. Understanding your anxiety is an important first step to building resilience.

Join me as I speak to Dr. Carol Lewis who speaks to us about our emotional health and tools we can use to keep ourselves strong and more capable of dealing with life’s surprises.

Key Areas We Discuss

Anxiety versus calm: the concept of managing anxiety, not battling it
Anxiety’s relation to menopause
The physiology of anxiety: the misfire of the fight or flight response
4 tools to help you with your anxiety
- Sleep allows for a sense of well being. Optimal amount of sleep, blue light’s impact on desire to sleep, sense of well-being
- Nutrition to reduce anxiety; importance of regular meals
- Movement: the role of movement, physical activity to help with sense of well-being.
- Doing something joyful and/or playful every day: finding joy again despite angst

About Carol Lewis, PhD MPH CPH:

Dr. Lewis is a clinical psychologist with more than 30 years of experience. She supervises trainees across all level of training. Dr. Lewis’ expertise includes the treatment of chronically suicidal, self-injurious individuals, using skills-based methods, as well as the treatment of trauma with EMDR. She is trained in several mindfulness-based treatment protocols and runs an adult Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) group. She is very involved in the community and, for many years, has worked with the University of Florida’s Mobile Outreach Clinic, a bus-based clinic providing no-cost healthcare to underserved populations in Gainesville, Florida.

Building Resilience & Steps to Overcoming Anxious Feelings Read More »

Learning How to Learn (and Some Uncommon Sense Teaching)

Blog, Podcast, Seeking Voices: Exploring the Science of Health and Healing / October 3, 2023

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Barbara Oakley, a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

Her work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. Dr. Oakley’s research has been described as “revolutionary” in the Wall Street Journal. She is a New York Times best-selling author who has published in outlets as varied as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Her book A Mind for Numbers, on effective learning in STEM disciplines, has sold over a million copies worldwide; Uncommon Sense Teaching is a critically praised guide to teaching based on insights from neuroscience.

About Dr. Barbara Oakley, PhD, PE:

Barbara Oakley, PhD, PE is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan; Michigan’s Distinguished Professor of the Year; and Coursera’s inaugural “Innovation Instructor.” Dr. Oakley has won numerous teaching awards, including the American Society of Engineering Education’s Chester F. Carlson Award for technical innovation in engineering education and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers William E. Sayle II Award for Achievement in Education. Together with Terrence Sejnowski, the Francis Crick Professor at the Salk Institute, she co-teaches Coursera’s “Learning How to Learn,” one of the world’s most popular massive open online courses with some four million registered students, along with a number of other leading online courses.

Dr. Oakley has adventured widely through her lifetime. She rose from the ranks of Private to Captain in the U.S. Army, during which time she was recognized as a Distinguished Military Scholar. She also worked as a communications expert at the South Pole Station in Antarctica, and has served as a Russian translator on board Soviet trawlers on the Bering Sea. Dr. Oakley is an elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

For more information, about her courses, clink on the links below!

• Learning How to Learn
• Learning How to Learn for Youth
• Uncommon Sense Teaching
• Mindshift

Learning How to Learn (and Some Uncommon Sense Teaching) Read More »

Deep Dive into Plant Based Protein (and debunking some myths along the way)

Blog, Podcast, Seeking Voices: Exploring the Science of Health and Healing / July 12, 2023

I had a great time speaking with Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina. They are fabulous dietitians who are very well known in the nutrition field. They took me on a deep dive into the world of protein. We discussed a number of topics such as plant-based vs animal proteins, protein needs for children/seniors/athletes, and we knocked over a few myths along the way. All this info is in their new book, “Plant Powered Protein“, and well worth picking up.

Big 3 Episode Takeaways

You can easily get enough protein from plant-based sources without the negative health consequences of animal products.
There are key differences in protein needs for children, seniors and high-performance athletes.
Tofu and soy products have long been thought to increase the risk of breast cancer. Turns out this is false and soy actually provides a level of protection.

Topics Discussed

0:40 – Introducing Brenda & Vesanto
2:41 – What is protein and why is it important?
6:35 – Essential amino acids
8:13 – Animal vs plant sources of proteins
13:14 – Disease reduction with plant based protein
17:49 – Plant fiber impact on the absorption of protein
19:26 – Getting enough plant based protein
22:18 – How much protein do I need?
24:23 – Example meals to get enough protein
31:20 – Fear of tofu and soy
37:22 – Simple way for kids to get protein
42:05 – Protein intake for athletes
53:54 – Do medium chain triglycerides (MCT) improve endurance or support weight loss?
57:38 – Protein needs for seniors
1:03:34 – Thoughts on plant-based “meat” products
1:08:57 – How vegans are close to the Paleolithic Diet

About Brenda and Vesanto:

VESANTO MELINA, MS, RD

Vesanto Melina is an internationally known nutrition consultant and speaker, academic instructor, registered dietitian, and writer. She was the recipient of the prestigious Ryley-Jeffs Memorial Award in 2016, the highest recognition that the Board of Dietitians of Canada can bestow on a member. Vesanto, with co-author Brenda Davis, RD, has written nine classics on plant-based nutrition. Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive Edition (2014) and Becoming Vegan: Express Edition (2013 are classics that were referred to by the American Library Association as “the go-to books” on plant-based nutrition. Their latest books are Plant Powered Protein (2023) and The Kick Diabetes Cookbook (2018). Vesanto has taught at the University of British Columbia and at Seattle’s Bastyr University. Her nutrition books have been used as college texts and as the foundation of continuing education courses. She is lead author of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics latest Position Paper on Vegetarian Diets. As a speaker she has given presentations in 10 countries to dietetic organizations, health professionals, and vegetarian societies. She is a regular consultant for the Government of British Columbia and does private consultations. Vesanto in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. More information can be found at https://nutrispeak.com

BRENDA DAVIS, RD

Brenda Davis is one of the world’s leading plant-based pioneers and an internationally acclaimed speaker. She is widely regarded as a rock star of plant-based nutrition and VegNews referred to her as “The Godmother” of vegan dietitians.

As a prolific nutrition and health writer, Brenda has authored/co-authored 13 books with nearly a million copies in print in 15 languages. Her most recent works include Plant-Powered Protein (Melina, Davis, and Davis, 2022), Nourish: The Definitive Plant-based Nutrition Guide for Families (Shah and Davis, 2020), Kick Diabetes Essentials (Davis, 2019), The Kick Diabetes Cookbook (Davis and Melina, 2018), Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive Edition (Davis and Melina, 2014) and Becoming Vegan: Express Edition (Davis and Melina, 2013). Nourish won gold in the 2020 Nautilus Book Awards and was also a Canada Book Award winner. Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive Edition won a 2014 REAL Best of 2014 Book Award and Becoming Vegan: Express Edition won the Canada Book Award and was a finalist and received honorable mention in the Foreward Book of the Year Award. Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive and Express Editions have also received a star rating by the American Library Association as the “go-to books” on plant-based nutrition.

Brenda has been a featured speaker at medical, nutrition, and dietetic conferences in over 20 countries on 5 continents. With colleague, Dr. John Kelly (founding president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine), she was the lead dietitian in a diabetes lifestyle medicine trial in the Marshall Islands, and a lifestyle intervention demonstration project for the medical community in Lithuania.

Brenda has co-authored numerous professional and lay articles. She is a past chair of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association. Brenda has been promoting plant-based diets since making the transition herself in 1989. Her personal and professional life goals are one in the same – to make this world a more sustainable, more health supportive, and kinder place. Brenda’s work focuses on ensuring that everyone who wishes to be plant-based can succeed brilliantly. In 2007, Brenda Davis was inducted into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame, and she was the 2022 recipient of the Plantrician Project’s Luminary Award. Brenda lives in Calgary Alberta with her husband, Paul, and has two grown children and 3 grandchildren.

Deep Dive into Plant Based Protein (and debunking some myths along the way) Read More »

Choose YOU Now with Julieanna Hever

Blog, Podcast, Seeking Voices: Exploring the Science of Health and Healing / April 29, 2023

Julieanna Hever speaks about her struggles with her weight and eating and how that helps her when she works with patients. I was most intrigued by her “Choose You Now Diet” book. I love the title and what that stands for. Choose you now. Very important to choose you.

Have a question about your health? Feel free to message me or schedule an appointment (click-here).

Big 4 Episode Takeaways

How to manage the misinformation in nutrition. What is the perfect diet? What are the pros and cons of getting too much protein?
How is the best way to lose weight? How do I shut your body off to eat less and create a calorie deficit? How do you know when you are hungry?
Food addiction journey: how do you change your relationship with food.
What does it mean to “Choose you Now” how did I choose myself? Julieanna describes three points that she focuses on in her “Choose You Now” Book. Those three focus points are eating plant based diet, intermittent fasting and mindfulness. Julieanna talks about how mindfulness and changing your relationship with food is most important.

About Dietitian Julieanna Hever:

Ms. Hever is a registered dietitian with a Masters of Science degree in Nutrition. She has authored seven books including Choose You Now Diet, The Healthspan Solution, Plant-Based Nutrition (Idiots Guide) and Vegiterranean Diet. She is a regular columnist on Veg News, has given a TEDx talk and been on many television shows talking about healthy eating.

She works with clients individually who come to her to work on weight loss, food addiction and reducing chronic illness. She develops a detailed plan with her clients to affect change. Her results are amazing.

Choose YOU Now with Julieanna Hever Read More »

Dr. Monica Aggarwal

Lessons for a BETTER WORLD with Ocean Robbins

Key Areas We Discuss

About Ocean Robbins:

Preparing for the Fragile Years with Amy O’Rourke

Key Areas We Discuss

About Amy O’Rourke:

Explore How the Seeds We Grow Impact Human Health with John Rivers

Key Areas We Discuss

About John Rivers:

Learning to Age Beautifully and Live with Vitality. A Chat with Chef Babette Davis.

Key Areas We Discuss

About Chef Babette Davis:

The Science of Fat with Dr. William Li

Key Areas We Discuss

About Dr. William Li:

Winning with Diabetes: Inspiring stories to help you thrive

Key Areas We Discuss

About Dr. Mark Corriere and Dr. Rita Kalyani:

Building Resilience & Steps to Overcoming Anxious Feelings

Key Areas We Discuss

About Carol Lewis, PhD MPH CPH:

Learning How to Learn (and Some Uncommon Sense Teaching)

About Dr. Barbara Oakley, PhD, PE:

Deep Dive into Plant Based Protein (and debunking some myths along the way)

Big 3 Episode Takeaways

Topics Discussed

About Brenda and Vesanto:

VESANTO MELINA, MS, RD

BRENDA DAVIS, RD

Choose YOU Now with Julieanna Hever

Big 4 Episode Takeaways

About Dietitian Julieanna Hever:

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