To all of you who work sleepless nights in hospitals to care for others this year (and every year) - we salute you. It hasn’t been an easy year for anyone. People who have had to directly interact with and treat patients who were diagnosed with the Coronavirus had unique challenges. Not only did they have to deal with the global uncertainties and their own families, but they also had to be present and strong for their patients. Heather Isola, the Director of Physician Assistants at Mount Sinai H...
Nov 12, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Estimates reveal that anywhere from 11-40% of adults in the U.S. have chronic pain, which is linked to disability, opioid addiction, anxiety, depression, and increased medical costs. More specifically, chronic pelvic pain affects up to nearly a quarter of all women worldwide. Dr. Jana Scrivani, a clinical psychologist specializing in pelvic pain, joins us for a lively conversation today to answer the question - “What is Pain?” She discusses how pain is real and is mediated by the brain by variou...
Nov 05, 2020•46 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Most people have experienced a stomach issue at some point - abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea. Sometimes these symptoms go away in a few hours or days. But many times, people live with these issues for weeks, months, or even years and require medical intervention. The great news about issues related to your GI tract is that many symptoms can be alleviated with lifestyle modifications including changes in your diet and exercise. Today we chat with Dr. Megha Kothari, a gastroenterologist...
Oct 29, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 13
You might have heard of all the different types of challenging races: sprints, Olympic distances, Iron Mans, or Escape from Alcatraz. Personally, I’m lucky if I can even endure a 3-mile run, so I didn’t know much about them! On today’s episode, you’ll hear the story of a woman who started by not knowing how to swim... to competing in these very races. Now, she even coaches others to do them too! Sara Dimmick, founder and co-partner of Physical Equilibrium has been a personal trainer since 2000 a...
Oct 22, 2020•27 min•Season 2Ep. 12
As of 2018, 55% of our total world population live in cities. Studies show that living in urban environments increases the risk for psychosis, anxiety disorders, and depression due to reasons like social isolation, poverty, and discrimination. In fact, over 90% of Gen Z said they have experienced some degree of physical or mental stress. However, globally, there aren’t as many resources for urban youth to seek help for the unique challenges they face. In today’s episode, we have our youngest gue...
Oct 15, 2020•23 min•Season 2Ep. 11
It seems pretty basic, right? Just feed your baby… Keep your baby healthy. But in the world we live in now, it’s actually not as easy as it sounds. Back in the day we lived in larger family units, with more support for birthing parents. Especially in a place like New York and during the pandemic, you might not even have enough space for family to visit, let alone provide more long term care for you and your baby. The struggle is real, and mothers - we hear you! Jada Shapiro, a maternal health ex...
Oct 09, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Whether you are a weekend warrior playing volleyball, a high schooler playing baseball after school, or a professional athlete representing your country, keeping your body strong and healthy is key to continuing your sport. As you take steps to improve your performance, it’s important to look at how you train, when you train, and how much you train. Vijay Vallab, the physiotherapist for New Zealand’s Cricket Team (Black Caps) and the National Manager for Acute Physiotherapy at Proactive joins us...
Oct 01, 2020•31 min•Season 2Ep. 9
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “Chinese Medicine?” You might have thought of “acupuncture” or “needles.” The truth is, Chinese Medicine encompasses so much more than just acupuncture, which has become very prominent in the Western world. Acupuncture has become so popular that some physicians in the West practice evidence-based “medical acupuncture,” the roots deriving from traditional East Asian practice. Christiane Siebert joins us today to teach us about the histor...
Sep 24, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Many people experience back pain. Of those, several will invariably receive imaging (X-ray or MRI usually). And of those, several will be told that they have 1 or more structural issues, such as a disc bulge or stenosis. Sometimes when we receive a diagnosis like this, we think we are stuck with it forever. That nothing can be done, and that we have to live with the back pain for the rest of our lives. Physical therapists, and physiotherapists, believe otherwise. Today I had a wonderful conversa...
Sep 17, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 7
The body has an immense capacity to heal on its own. To optimize your natural healing mechanisms, regenerative medicine specialists can help you reach your goals. For the past 20+ years, Dr. Scott Greenberg has studied the behavior of stem cells. After healing himself of chronic head and neck pain from a car accident that occurred at age 17, Dr. Greenberg continues to immerse himself in studying the complex nature of tissue-specific stem cells, how they regenerate nerve, joint and tissue systems...
Sep 10, 2020•42 min•Season 2Ep. 6
The car seat comes with a 20-page manual. So why don’t babies come with a manual too? If you feel confused, alone, sad, or anxious during pregnancy and/or after your baby arrives, don’t think you are a bad mom. If you are in a dark place and you didn’t wake up like a goddess in silk sheets, knowing exactly what to do or feeling a bond with your baby immediately, don’t be alarmed. Many women experience Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) and too often mothers don’t seek help because they...
Sep 03, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 5
What do new fathers do when they find out their partner is pregnant and that a baby is on the way? Part of it is just noting how vulnerable you might feel and honestly assessing what you know and don’t know. Part of it is being totally okay to be afraid of bringing a new human being into this planet. Justin Lioi, LCSW, a men’s mental health and relationship expert in Brooklyn, breaks down the barriers that prevent men from seeking mental health services. He helps men navigate through the challen...
Aug 27, 2020•35 min
There are too many statistics showing how black communities receive less healthcare. There are many reasons and barriers both from a patient perspective and a provider perspective. Social determinants of health are critical to healthcare delivery. Dr. Camille Clare breaks this very difficult topic for us in ways we can easily understand so that we can take steps together as a society to bring more equality into this space. She discusses institutional and structural racism, implicit and explicit ...
Aug 20, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In this episode, we are diving into race-based stress for women of color. Nicola Pierre-Smith, a Licensed Professional Counselor and private practice owner of Melanated Womens Health LLC, joins us today to break down the definition of racial trauma and how it affects melanated women. She talks about the double stigma that women of color face when seeking mental health help. Racial socialization is when people socialize in specific ways because of race-based stress. She discusses barriers that pe...
Aug 13, 2020•18 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Season 2 on Fit As A Fiddle is opening up as strong as ever! We have a unique season premier, with 3 guest speakers. The ladies you’ll be hearing from on this show, Nicole JeanBaptiste, Carmen Mojica, and Evelyn Alvarez are the founders of Bx (Re)Birth and Progress, a collective of Bronx-based Black birthworkers who build solutions that protect and honor birthing people in the Bronx and their families. They discuss how racism impacts every element of our lives and how deep rooted it is in health...
Aug 06, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 1
If you identify with the female body and spirit, this one's for you. Learn about the ancient Chinese practice of the Jade Egg from Fausta Tamburino, a licensed acupuncturist and priestess who has been immersed in her wellness practices for over 30 years. Fausta describes a practice that serves to transmit and heal feminine energy for inner nourishment. In her private practice, Fausta draws on a constellation of healing modalities including the ancient wisdom of acupuncture, yoga, Taoist Feminine...
Jul 30, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Whatever kind of birth experience you would like to have is the type that is right for you. Whether that means you choose to induce labor or not, medicalize your birth or not, have a doula or not… the choice is yours. Dr. Jaqueline Worth, an obstetrician and founder of Village Obstetrics, shares her 20 years of experience delivering thousands of babies. She believes that less is more when it comes to birth and that it’s the OB’s job to be supportive of women throughout their care to ensure “safe...
Jul 23, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Belly rubs are great. But the Arvigo Mayan Abdominal Therapy® takes tummy massages to a whole new level. Learn about how ancient Mayan bodywork, brought to the modern world by Arvigo practitioners, can center a tipped uterus and decrease constipation. You’ll also get a bonus overview of vaginal steaming and uterine lavage. Megan Backus is a Licensed Massage Therapist specializing in reproductive and digestive health as well as massage for infants and children. In addition to Swedish Massage, she...
Jul 16, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 24
What is your relationship with your fertility? In today’s political climate with reproductive rights, women should empower themselves with knowledge of their body and understand their choices. Today we have Katinka Locascio joining us to discuss the fertility awareness method, which helps women understand their fertility in a natural, evidence-based way. Whether you are looking to prevent pregnancy or you want to get pregnant, understanding this method gets you one step closer to your goals. Kat...
Jul 09, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Baby’s don’t come with technical manuals. In many places around the world, families have switched out of living in joint homes and instead, live in smaller family units. When you aren’t too sure about breastfeeding, lactation consultants come to the rescue! My guest on today’s episode is Leigh Anne O’Connor, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and La Leche League Leader. She discusses the societal and cultural expectations that influence the modern mother’s experience with brea...
Jul 02, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 21
If your jaw hurts or has ever hurt in the past, tune in! On the show, you’ll learn ways to alleviate jaw pain and how dentists work with patients to improve their symptoms. Dr. Sean Bahrami is a Doctor of Dental Surgery and treats temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), which are a host of jaw joint issues that occur for various reasons. He breaks down several tips for dental hygiene and general oral health that all of us can benefit from! Connect with him on Instagram at @drseanbahrami or www.super...
Jun 25, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 20
We’ve seen all sorts of births in movies. My favorite is Emily Blunt playing the pregnant mother Evelyn in the movie “A Quiet Place.” She delivers her baby in a tub while being absolutely silent (no noise whatsoever), or else the monster will kill her. After conducting this interview, I imagined how Evelyn would have benefitted from a few hypnobirthing classes... Ha! We now know with the growing amount of literature how powerful the mind is and how useful it is to harness your mental state to pr...
Jun 18, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Insomnia is a huge issue and affects millions of people’s quality of life. Infact, 15% of the population has chronic unremitting insomnia and women are much more likely than men to experience sleepless nights. Sometimes people resort to pills, alcohol, or other drugs to help. However, non-medicinal approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be the key to reversing this issue once and for all. Dr. Shelby Harris is a clinical psychologist board certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine, C...
Jun 11, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Holistic wellbeing is a hot topic right about now. Your mind, body, and spirit are all integrated and contribute to your healthy lifestyle. During this time, the pandemic may be creating shifts in your wellbeing. This podcast highlights how to find harmony within the possible chaos. Jaya Jaya Myra is an internationally acclaimed author and motivational speaker. After healing herself naturally from debilitating fibromyalgia, Myra developed the Well Method to teach others how to live a healthy, fu...
Jun 04, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Back in the day we thought the world was flat. Back in the day we also thought the brain and body operated separately, and so we had cognitive approaches and behavioral approaches to therapy. CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, combines these two worlds to describe the way that we as humans think and act. Chiara Battistello, PhD, LCSW, a clinical social worker and psychotherapist, discusses how our thought patterns or our assumptions of things around us come from underlying beliefs that make u...
May 28, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 16
On our show today we learn effective ways that new mommas can navigate their journey back into the workplace after giving birth. Robyn DeLuca, a psychologist and postpartum consultant, discusses ways to regulate emotional states, find and transition to childcare, appease struggles with partners, reintegrate into the workplace, and create sanity around it all. She addresses mom guilt and gives us tangible tips that you can implement TODAY. This episode is great for partners to listen to as well, ...
May 21, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 15
We are not quite in the times where we lived in joint families, where grandmothers, mothers, and the community of women were present to provide birth advice… advice that was passed down through generations. Many women don’t quite know what to do during and after pregnancy. Doulas and birth educators play a unique role in the 21st century. Lisa Greaves Taylor, LCCE, CCCE, CD(DONA) is a NYC-based childbirth educator, birth doula, founder of Birth Matters NYC, and mom of 2. She talks to us today ab...
May 14, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 14
When the “baby blues” turn into postpartum depression (PPD), we have to seek help. Therapists trained in pregnancy and postpartum can guide you through this challenging period as you navigate the changes that a new child brings into your life. Olivia Bergeron, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and Parent Coach who founded Mommy Grooves Therapy & Parent Coaching. She chats with us today about risk factors for PPD, how to get support, and the hopeful fact that PPD is very treatable. She currently has...
May 07, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Right now about 1 in 5 children are obese. Fast food has become an integral part of people’s daily food habits and it often spirals out of control. Parents don’t want their children to have heart disease and diabetes, so why is this happening? Namitha John Shah is a family nurse practitioner in New York City who specializes in pediatric and adolescent medicine. She urges parents on improving food habits and offers tips that parents can implement today to put their children less at risk.
Apr 30, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In a big city like Manhattan, there are dozens and dozens of exercise classes to fit any person’s needs. You’ve got classes offering yoga, hybrid training, boxing, bootcamps, biking, and more. When it comes to the prenatal population, there are several options to continue your fitness journey if you are already active and moving without pain or dysfunction. It’s okay (and very necessary) to workout during pregnancy in a safe and personalized manner. On this show, I sit down with Erin Livingston,...
Apr 23, 2020•16 min•Season 1Ep. 11
