Have you ever had a moment where someone doubted your instincts—only for science to prove you right years later? When I was applying to my medical residency, a doctor scoffed at my concern for BPA and endocrine disruptors. “You don’t believe in that BPA crap, do you?” he said. Well, here we are, decades later, with research linking BPA to miscarriage and endocrine disruption—even from something as simple as touching receipts or airline tickets. And now, the new frontier: microplastics and nanopl...
Jun 21, 2025•24 min•Ep. 276
Most women don’t look like they’re falling apart—even when they’re struggling to stay afloat. We keep it all going: raising kids, showing up for work, taking care of everyone else—while silently carrying stress, grief, trauma, and anxiety. And all that holding it together? It comes at a cost. In this heart-opening episode of On Health , Aviva sits down with UK-based psychotherapist and author Helen Marie to explore: 🔹 Why high-functioning anxiety, burnout, and people-pleasing often go unseen 🔹...
Jun 04, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 275
What if the way we care for new mothers is all wrong? Not just lacking. Not just outdated. But built on a model that misses the heart and soul of what postpartum truly is — and what it could be. When I was a home birth midwife, postpartum care was the care . I'd visit mamas and babies at home five or six times in the first few weeks. We’d talk about everything — from latch to lochia, sleep deprivation to soul shifts. It wasn’t "extra." It was essential. It’s part of why I went into medicine, bec...
May 21, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 274
In recognition of Maternal Mental Health Month I am re-sharing this 2023 conversation with the founders of The Motherhood Center in NYC. With Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADS) being the #1 complication associated with birth in the US and the #2 cause of maternal mortality, this remains a critical conversation. It’s not just you. You're not crazy. You're not a bad mom. You're not alone. These are words and deep beliefs that resonate through and form the backbone of today’s guests, Cath...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 273
There are the stories we tell out loud, and then there are the ones we keep tucked away—the ones that ache the most, because we’ve carried them in silence. On this episode of On Health , we’re breaking the silence—and the stigma—around some of the most vulnerable, hidden experiences women carry: miscarriage, illness, identity loss, perfectionism, aging, and the loneliness so many of us feel but rarely name. I’m joined by the phenomenal Dr. Jessica Zucker, clinical psychologist and author of the ...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 272
What if you already have what it takes to breastfeed your baby—and just need the right support to unlock it? This question is at the heart of my conversation with Lisa Paladino, Certified Nurse Midwife, IBCLC, and a fierce advocate for women and babies. Lisa has decades of experience helping families navigate the powerful, joyous, and sometimes confusing, emotional, and occasionally challenging terrain of breastfeeding. Not just a brilliant clinician, but a graduate of both my Women’s Integrativ...
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 271
Have you ever left a doctor’s appointment feeling more defeated than when you arrived? Perhaps a diagnosis felt like a life sentence, or a well-meaning comment planted a seed of fear that lingered for months. This isn’t just bad bedside manner; it’s a phenomenon I call “medical hexing.” It’s the subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle, way that language in medical settings can disempower us, shaping our beliefs and even our health outcomes. Today, we’re diving deep into the power of words in medicin...
Mar 26, 2025•45 min•Ep. 270
What if friendships were just as vital to our health as sleep, nutrition, and exercise? Research suggests they might be. But in our fast-paced, modern world, nurturing deep and lasting friendships can feel overwhelming. In this episode, I sit down with journalist and author Anna Goldfarb to explore the evolving landscape of friendship—why it can be so challenging to maintain meaningful connections as we move through different life phases, and what we can do to strengthen the relationships that n...
Mar 12, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 269
Have you ever felt torn between dreaming big and staying realistic? Between trusting your instincts and wondering if fear is holding you back? In today’s conversation, we’re diving deep into what it truly means to reclaim your personal sovereignty—the ability to stand fully in your own power, free from self-doubt, external expectations, and the weight of comparison. My guest today, Dr. Emma Seppälä , is a psychologist, researcher, and bestselling author dedicated to helping people cultivate happ...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 268
“You’re holding your baby too much.” “Just let them cry it out.” “You’ll spoil them if you respond every time they cry.” If you’ve ever heard these words—or wondered yourself whether nurturing your baby too much could backfire—you’re not alone. But the science is clear: responding to and connecting with our babies doesn’t spoil them; it builds their brains for lifelong emotional resilience and mental health. In this episode of On Health , I’m joined by neuroscientist, doula, and infant sleep spe...
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 267
In this episode Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz, known as the Kitchen Curandera, and I explore the profound role of ancestral wisdom in women’s health. Felicia shares her journey of carrying forward her great-grandmother’s curanderismo practices and how food, plants, and rituals can transform the way we heal and care for ourselves across life’s stages. From pregnancy to postpartum to the wisdom years of menopause, this episode is filled with insights on using food and herbs as medicine, as well as creatin...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 266
Imagine living with the constant fear of leaking when you sneeze, jump, or can’t find a bathroom in time. Now add in the struggles of constipation, painful sex, or uterine, bladder, or rectal prolapse. These aren’t just occasional annoyances—they’re signs of pelvic floor dysfunction, which affects millions of women every year. This episode of On Health is for every woman—whether you’re preparing for pregnancy, recovering postpartum, navigating menopause, or striving to age safely and independent...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 265
I used to believe that for every good thing that happened to me, something bad had to happen as well to even it out, like a universal balancing system. Every time something good was going to happen, I always thought to myself, “What will the payback be?” In my years of experience working with and talking to women, I have learned that lots of women live with this fear, often for a long time. Listen in as I talk about why we have this fear, acknowledge that you’re not crazy for having it, and how ...
Jan 08, 2025•36 min•Ep. 264
Why does it feel like no matter how much we do, it’s never enough—Including—and especially—in our mothering? It’s no wonder we feel this way! Societal changes have created a culture that ties worth to performance, often at the expense of our health and happiness, while macroeconomic trends that have shifted the way we think about work, education, and success, making it entirely focussed on external standards of achievement. In this thought-provoking episode, I sit down with Jennifer Wallace, jou...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 263
Intergenerational trauma refers to the transmission of unresolved trauma and its psychological, emotional, or even physical effects from one generation to another. This phenomenon can manifest in various ways, impacting individuals' mental health, coping mechanisms, and relational patterns. The cycle of intergenerational trauma underscores the importance of acknowledging, understanding, and actively addressing inherited wounds to break free from its influence on future generations. On today’s On...
Nov 27, 2024•58 min•Ep. 262
Imagine being told you had a “hostile uterus” and sent home, only to discover later you were on the brink of a life-threatening pregnancy complication. This isn’t fiction. Terms like “hostile uterus” and “irritable uterus” are still in use, and they’re dangerous. In conventional medicine, language like this often subtly blames women’s bodies for medical events, creating a culture where women who advocate for themselves are frequently dismissed—or even labeled “difficult.” Disturbingly, some wome...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 261
Could your love relationship use a bit of boost? Some calm in the storm? Or are you looking for love that’s been hard to find? In this On Health for Women episode I’m joined by Dr. Alexandra Solomon, a wonderful couples therapist, professor, author of Love Every Day and the host of the Reimagining Love podcast. Together we explore the real meaning of love and how it can be cultivated through daily practices of self-awareness, self-compassion, and intentional connection. Whether single, in a rela...
Oct 29, 2024•51 min•Ep. 260
Feeling the first tickle of a sore throat? Or maybe you’re dealing with a full-blown cold or flu? In this episode, I’m sharing my top natural remedies to help you get through cold and flu season. From immune-boosting herbs to soothing teas, these are the must-haves I trust to keep my family healthy. I’ll walk you through how to use each one, with practical tips on safety, including what’s safe for kids, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. You’ll learn simple recipes you can make at home, like ginger t...
Oct 16, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 259
Many of us are aware of the ethical minefield of fast fashion—from the labor issues to the environmental damage. But did you know that the clothes in your closet could be making you sick? In this episode, I’m joined by award-winning investigative journalist Alden Wicker, author of To Die For: How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick and How We Can Fight Back . Alden’s deep dive into the world of fashion goes beyond the well-known stories of sweatshops and waste to uncover the hidden impact of unregul...
Oct 02, 2024•56 min•Ep. 258
I remember when I first started practicing as a midwife—way back in the '80s—there was barely a whisper about how nutrition could impact pregnancy. I taught my first prenatal nutrition class in 1990, and the hunger for information was almost palpable. It’s amazing to me that, fast forward to today, we’re still facing a gap in understanding just how much food and lifestyle choices affect both mom and baby. But here’s the thing—there’s so much hope and possibility when we’re armed with the right i...
Sep 18, 2024•56 min•Ep. 257
Of all the stages in life, most women tell me they’d least want to revisit—it's puberty. If you're reading this, you survived it too. And while you likely have some fond memories, you also remember the awkward body changes, the anxiety of getting your mom to buy pads or tampons to avoid the dreaded checkout counter, the stress around your emerging—or non-emerging—breasts, acne, and the confusing wave of new feelings that came with your growing sexual awareness. Our teens today are facing a diffe...
Aug 31, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 256
Despite advancements in medical technology and a growing awareness of maternal health, the emotional and psychological experiences of birthing mothers in the US often go unnoticed. In this eye-opening episode, Aviva Romm, an experienced midwife and MD, delves into a topic that is often overlooked and misunderstood—birth trauma. Aviva shares her personal birth story, other birth stories, and draws from decades of experience to explore the hidden epidemic of birth trauma that is affecting an alarm...
Aug 21, 2024•31 min•Ep. 255
If you find yourself feeling chronically overwhelmed, with a to-do list you can’t ever get to the bottom of, and a nagging feeling that you’re never quite doing enough, this episode is for you. Joining me is Jenny Odell, the acclaimed author of zthe books How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy and Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond Productivity Culture . An artist and educator based in Oakland, California, Jenny’s work shines a light on how we can reclaim our attention in an incr...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 254
Welcome to the second half of our alcohol miniseries! In part one, I focused on how alcohol metabolizes differently in women than men and how this increases women's alcohol-related health risks. I also talked about how alcohol can effect puberty, our hormones, and menstrual cycles. If you haven’t already listened, it's a perfect prequel to today's episode, where I talk about how alcohol may impact fertility, PCOS, endometriosis, menopause, and breast cancer, giving you food for thought on whethe...
Jul 11, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 253
Alcohol. It's the kind of frenemy that many women have a love-hate relationship with. It may make us feel good in the moment—relaxed, more social, less anxious—but many women find that after a drink or several, they’re moody, irritable, don’t sleep as well, and feel overall kind of not-so-great. Are there reasons for this that are unique to women? And can alcohol have hidden effects on our estrogen? Progesterone? Menstrual cycles? What about your gut? Circadian rhythm? Thyroid? That’s exactly wh...
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 252
I’m so excited to share an encore interview with the brilliant, hilarious, and incredibly insightful Emily Nagoski, author of Come As You Are , Come Together , and Burnout (co-written with her sister). Emily is a renowned sex educator who brings a blend of scientific rigor and relatable storytelling to the conversation about women's sexual health and pleasure. Get ready for a foxy (you’ll have to listen to hear why this is literally true!)conversation full of laughter, wisdom, and relatable expe...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 251
In this fresh and delightful episode I sit down with Olivia Amitrano, herbalist, host of the popular What’s the Juice podcast and founder of Organic Olivia, a successful botanical medicines company. Olivia opens up about her transformative journey through herbalism, personal growth, and the essential practice of honest self-reflection on the relationships in our lives and our relationship to ourselves. We dive deep into Olivia’s: First encounters with plants and how this sparked her enduring pas...
Jun 19, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 250
Trigger Warning: This episode contains sensitive topics related to pregnancy loss and fertility challenges. Listener discretion is advised. In this deeply personal and powerful episode of "On Health," I sit down with Chelsea Leyland, a globetrotting DJ, mother, epilepsy and endometriosis activist, documentary filmmaker, and menstrual health entrepreneur. Chelsea shares her journey through endometriosis, pregnancy loss, and becoming a mother and the importance of breaking the silence around these...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 249
"I think one of the most important things about fistula is that it is completely preventable and treatable. So this is a solvable problem. We used to have this problem here in the US and now we don't." – Bonnie Ruder Obstetric fistula affects around 2 million women globally, with 50,000 to 100,000 new cases each year. This devastating, yet entirely preventable condition profoundly impacts women's lives, causing chronic infections, incontinence, and severe social ostracism and isolation. In this ...
May 22, 2024•48 min•Ep. 248
In recognition of Maternal Mental Health Month I am re-sharing this 2023 conversation with the founders of The Motherhood Center in NYC. With Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADS) being the #1 complication associated with birth in the US and the #2 cause of maternal mortality, this remains a critical conversation. It’s not just you. You're not crazy. You're not a bad mom. You're not alone. These are words and deep beliefs that resonate through and form the backbone of today’s guests, Cath...
May 08, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 246
