Health Under the Hood

On this episode of Health Under the Hood, Dr. Maria Nichols sits down with Tammy Dungan, a certified Sleep, Stress, Recovery, and Menopause Coach and Autoimmune Holistic Nutrition Specialist, to explore the connections between women's health, chronic stress, and chronic illness.After nearly two decades leading corporate trainings and conferences, Tammy experienced firsthand what can happen when chronic stress, poor sleep, and unresolved health issues take their toll. Her health declined to the point where she was wheelchair-bound, setting her on a difficult journey to find answers, advocate for herself, and rebuild her health.Tammy shares what she learned navigating a healthcare system where she often felt unheard, and why women need to become active participants in their healthcare.This conversation explores the overlooked relationship between stress, hormones, menopause, and autoimmune health, why women's symptoms deserve a closer look, and how understanding the body's interconnected systems can change the way we approach prevention and long-term wellness.Through her Limitless Ladies Network, Tammy is helping women navigate midlife with practical, science-informed strategies and a community that reminds them they're not alone.Notes:LimitlessLadiesNetwork.comFollow Tammy on LinkedInFollow Limitless Ladies Network on:LinkedinFacebookInstagram

Where you live matters to your health. But, it doesn't have to determine what your body and mind are capable of.The Bronx faces some of New York’s starkest health disparities. Life expectancy is about seven years shorter, type 2 diabetes is roughly twice the national average, and asthma hospitalization rates are about three times higher.But, statistics don't tell the whole story.On this episode of Health Under the Hood, Dr. Maria Nichols sits down with Annie Molina, a Bronx-born ultramarathon runner, yoga instructor, and elementary school teacher who has run 33 miles in a single day, completed multiple marathons, hiked 1,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail, and teaches yoga to both kids and adults.Annie talks candidly about growing up in the Bronx, and how her family’s health history shaped the way she thought about food and wellness. She shares her journey from walking and dancing to running and ultramarathons, and the unexpected role yoga played in helping her navigate depression, body image, and self-doubt.The conversation goes beyond miles and finish lines to explore the mind-body connection, finding purpose instead of waiting for motivation, challenging the idea of what a runner “looks like,” and why community can sometimes be the spark that helps us change.Notes:Follow Annie Molina on:InstagramPhoto credit: Erik Gonzalez - @gokire

What happens after you're told you have just 14 days to live?In this episode of Health Under the Hood, Dr. Markyia Nichols sits down with Sean Swarner, a two-time cancer survivor, endurance athlete, author, and motivational speaker, whose journey challenges everything we think we know about health, disease, and human potential.After surviving two rare cancers and losing one lung, Sean went on to climb Mount Everest, complete the Seven Summits, reach both the North and South Poles, finish the Ironman World Championship, and run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. Sean shares how he learned not to let a diagnosis define his identity, why achievement alone can leave us feeling empty, and how his concept of the "True Summit" helps people pursue goals that actually align with their values. He also introduces his ASCEND framework for navigating adversity, explains the power of gratitude and small daily habits, and offers practical tools for finding clarity when life doesn't go according to plan.Whether you're navigating a chronic health condition, recovering from illness, or simply looking for a new perspective on what's possible, this conversation proves that our greatest limits are often the stories we tell ourselves.In this episode, you'll learn:Why your diagnosis doesn't have to define youThe difference between a "false summit" and a truly meaningful goalSean's ASCEND framework for overcoming life's biggest challengesThe powerful question that can help you uncover what really mattersNotes:True Summit Method is available on Amazon.https://www.seanswarner.com/Follow Sean on:LinkedinFacebookInstagram

When we hear the word grief, most of us picture casseroles, sympathy cards, and someone saying, "Let me know if there's anything I can do," before disappearing into the mist.But, grief is much more broad.It can show up after a diagnosis, when your body stops cooperating, when you're caring for someone you love, or when the future you imagined quietly gets replaced by one you never planned for.In this episode of Health Under the Hood, we sit down with licensed clinical social worker and certified death doula Claire Treacy to talk about the kinds of loss that don't always have a funeral, but still deserve to be acknowledged.Drawing from her experience supporting patients and families through cancer treatment, serious illness, and end-of-life care, Claire shares what she's learned about resilience, caregiving, and finding your footing when life takes an unexpected turn. We explore how chronic illness can create invisible grief, why caregivers often put themselves last, and how making space for these experiences can actually help us move forward.You'll learn:• Why grief is a normal part of many health journeys, not just death and loss• How chronic disease can bring unexpected emotional challenges• What it really means to "die with dignity" • Practical ways to find support, build resilience, and regain a sense of controlWhether you're navigating a health challenge, supporting a loved one, working to prevent or reverse chronic disease, or simply adjusting to one of life's many plot twists, this discussion is a reminder that being human is complicated, and that you don't have to figure it all out by yourself.Notes:Claire is currently in-network with several insurance providers, and is accepting new clients in Connecticut, Texas, New York, New Jersey, and Oklahoma.  You can learn more about her here:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/claire-treacy-houston-tx/1601564

What if your skin care routine was affecting far more than your skin, and actually driving chronic disease?On this episode of Health Under the Hood, we sit down with Jodi Scott, founder of Green Goo and CEO of Spry Life,  to explore the surprising connection between the skin barrier, the nervous system, inflammation, and whole-person health.With a background in pre-med, health psychology, private practice, and medical education, Jodi brings a rare perspective that bridges modern science and plant-based healing. She unpacks why the products sitting in your first aid cabinet may matter more than you think, how chronic stress shows up on the skin, and why true healing requires looking beyond symptoms.Learn more about:The science of psychoneuroimmunology, and how the brain, immune system, and skin constantly communicate.Why many conventional skin products may disrupt the body’s natural balanceThe origin story behind Green Goo and the mission to create clean, effective, plant-powered therapeutics.How skin health influences sleep, inflammation, stress regulation, and recoveryWhy becoming your own health advocate starts with asking better questionsWarm, practical, and deeply insightful, this conversation challenges the idea that health care should be compartmentalized, and offers a refreshing reminder that healing is often more connected, and more human, than we’ve been taught.Notes:https://www.greengoo.com/Follow Jodi Scott on:LinkedInFollow Green Goo on: Instagram FacebookTikTok

What if the story behind your metabolism didn’t start with food, but with your childhood? In this episode of Health Under the Hood, Dr. Markyia Nichols sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Brian Alman to explore a truth that’s often overlooked in healthcare: our early life experiences don’t just shape who we are. They shape how our bodies function.At the center of this conversation are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), a framework developed alongside Dr. Vincent Felitti that reveals how stress, loss, and adversity in childhood can drive patterns in adult health. Not just mental health, but obesity, autoimmune conditions, cardiovascular disease, digestive issues, and more.Sadly, this isn't rare. It’s the norm. More than 60% of people have experienced ACEs in the form of neglect, abuse or household challenges. Which means for many high-functioning, high-achieving adults, what looks like discipline or drive on the surface may actually be a nervous system shaped by chronic threat detection. In this episode, we unpack:What ACEs are and how they impact chronic disease development (and reversal!)Why so many chronic conditions show up together, not in isolationHow trauma-informed patterns can drive behaviors like emotional or reward-based eating.Why “fixing” symptoms often misses the root causeWhat it really means to work with your nervous system, not against itDr. Alman also shares practical, accessible tools such as his “15th Row” technique to help listeners begin gently rewiring long-standing stress patterns and rebuilding trust with their own bodies. Bonus: the change doesn’t take long to see! If you’ve ever felt like your body is working against you or like you’re doing everything “right” but still not getting answers, this episode will help you see your health through a completely different lens.And, more importantly, show you where to begin.Notes:From Trauma to Enlightenment: The Four Steps to Unconditional Self-Acceptance is available on Amazon.truesage.comSign up for enlightn™Follow Dr Alman on:LinkedInInstagramYouTube

We’ve been taught that movement has to hurt to count. That exercise is discipline, prescription, and sweat, but never joy.Kate Wallich is here to challenge all of that.As the founder of Dance Church®, Kate has built a movement that’s less about getting it “right” and more about showing up…exactly as you are. What started as a small, no-judgment dance class in Seattle has grown into a national community reaching hundreds of thousands of people, all rooted in the idea that movement is medicine when it’s experienced, not prescribed.In this episode of Health Under the Hood, we talk about why joy and play might be the most underutilized tools in health, what happens when movement becomes something we “should” do instead of something we want to do, and how dance creates healing that traditional healthcare often overlooks. We explore stress, disconnection, accessibility, and the  transformations that happen when people feel safe enough to move together.This conversation is a reminder that health is about connection, expression, and belonging. And sometimes, the most powerful intervention doesn’t come with instructions…just music and space.Notes:Learn more about Dance Church - https://go.dancechurch.com/Follow Dance Church on: Instagram TikTokFollow Kate Wallich on:InstagramLinkedIn

What if the biggest predictors of health aren’t genetics, bad luck, or aging, but the systems we’ve normalized and the questions we’re not encouraged to ask?In this episode of Health Under the Hood, Dr. Markia Nichols sits down with longtime global health consultant and independent researcher, Emma Tekstra, to unpack an uncomfortable truth: modern healthcare is exceptional at managing symptoms, and remarkably bad at creating health.With 25 years advising global employers on benefits strategy, and a deeply personal journey sparked by her son’s early neurological and digestive diagnoses, Emma brings both hard data and hard-earned insight. She explains why a system built for acute care now dominates chronic disease, how “standard of care” protects institutions—not patients—and why pharmaceuticals are too often the first (and only) line of defense.Together, they explore:Why chronic disease is driven by nutrient deficiencies and toxic overload—not inevitability.How women’s health in midlife is misunderstood, undertreated, and over-medicated.What patients (and parents) must do when the white coat doesn’t have the answers.Why food, lifestyle, and environment outperform prescriptions in the long runAnd how employers and health plans could save money and lives by making root-cause care the default.Emma doesn’t traffic in wellness trends or wishful thinking. She follows the evidence wherever it leads. Her conclusion is that better health isn’t a mystery. It’s a choice, once you know where to look.If you’ve ever felt dismissed, overprescribed, or told to “manage” a condition you want to reverse, this conversation will change how you think about health, medicine, and what’s actually possible.Notes:How to Be a Healthy Human: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Health and Longevity is available on Amazon, and wherever books are sold.https://emmatekstra.com/Follow Emma Tekstra on: Instagram LinkedIn

In this episode of Health Under the Hood, we sit down with Dr. Ed Walker, a scientist at the Bioeconomy Science Institute’s Plant & Food Research group, who’s spent the last 13 years studying one of the most universal human experiences: hunger. With the curiosity of a researcher and the heart of a guide, Dr. Walker unpacks the science behind “food noise,” cravings, and why our relationship with food can feel so complicated… and how it doesn’t have to stay that way.Dr. Walker takes us inside the discovery of Calocurb (Amarasate®), a New Zealand hops-based nutraceutical that taps into the same GLP-1 pathway made famous by medications like Wegovy and Zepbound. We explore why this plant-based approach is generating so much buzz, how it may help calm hunger naturally, and what people should know if they’re hesitant about prescriptions or looking for a gentler “step-down” option instead of or after injectables.Together, we look at the future of plant-based therapeutics, the expanding world of metabolic health tools, and the simple but profound idea at the center of Dr. Walker’s work: when we change our relationship with food, we change our health.If you’ve ever wished your cravings were quieter, or wanted a science-backed, natural way to support healthier choices, this episode is for you. Tune in and get curious under the hood with us.Notes:Follow Dr. Walker on LinkedInTo learn more about Calocurb, visit https://www.calocurb.com/ or follow along on Instagram and Facebook. .

When a health scare put Javant face-to-face with prediabetes and hypertension, he didn’t turn to pills. He turned to his plate. Nearly 20 years later, that wake-up call became the spark behind a full-blown revolution in how he lives, eats, and teaches others to prevent and reverse chronic disease.Today, Javant’s messages reach nearly one million followers Instagram, where his oil-free, wheat-free, refined sugar-free recipes have become a rallying cry for anyone ready to fight back against chronic disease and misinformation.In this episode of Health Under the Hood, Dr. Markyia Nichols sits down with Javant, founder of @HealthyVeganEating, creator of the Healthy Vegan Lifestyle App, and author of the upcoming cookbook Make Your Own, to explore how food can be an act of rebellion against quick fixes, diet culture, and the “sick-care” system itself.They unpack:✔️ How Javant lost 80 pounds and reversed prediabetes through food✔️ Why he swears by a no-oil, no-wheat, no-sugar approach✔️ The mindset shifts that make lasting change possible✔️ How to start your own anti-diet revolution, one delicious plant-based meal at a timeAfterall, sometimes, the most radical thing you can do is feed yourself well.Javant’s new cookbook, Make Your Own, is available for preorder everywhere books are sold.Notes:https://www.hveating.com/Follow Javant on: Instagram YouTube