Heal Thy Self with Dr. G

Sponsored By: → Tonum | For an exclusive offer go to tonum.com and use promo code HEALTHYSELF for 10% OFF! → Cornbread Hemp | For an exclusive offer go to cornbreadhemp.com/drg and use promo code DRG for 30% OFF your first order! → JASPR | For an exclusive offer go to jaspr.co/DRG and get $200 OFF for a limited time. Episode Description: Kids today can’t sit still without a screen. Their days are packed from morning to night, every game has rules, every moment has a goal, and the second boredom hits, the phone swoops in. Here’s what that’s creating: anxious teens who become adults afraid to fail, constantly waiting to be told what to do. In this episode, Dr. G sits down with Cas Holman, the world-famous toy designer whose play systems are transforming classrooms worldwide. Cas doesn’t make toys that entertain kids, she builds tools that awaken creativity and imagination. Together, they explore how modern parenting, performance culture, and screen addiction have stripped us (and our children) of something vital: unstructured play. In This Episode: • Why kids have lost the ability to entertain themselves • How constant stimulation leads to anxiety, perfectionism, and fear of failure • Why boredom is essential for creativity and nervous system regulation • How to design your home and habits to invite more play — without turning your kitchen into a jungle gym • The difference between toys that entertain and toys that teach imagination • How rigid upbringings or lack of play can block self-expression as adults • Why play strengthens relationships, community, and emotional connection • One simple way to bring more play into your day — starting right now Key Takeaways: ✅ When play disappears, so does curiosity, creativity, and confidence ✅ Adults who suppress play often feel disconnected, anxious, or creatively blocked ✅ Play isn’t childish — it’s medicine for your nervous system ✅ You can rewire your stress response through small, daily moments of joy and play ✅ The most powerful form of healing sometimes looks like laughter, movement, and imagination Find Cas Holman here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casholman/?hl=en Website: https://casholman.com/ Timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction 2:53 – What Kids Did That Adults Need to Rediscover 6:30 – Free Play vs Structured Play 12:10 – Why Unstructured Play is Critical for Child Development 17:13 – How Adults Suppress Play & the "Play Voice" vs "Adult Voice" 23:18 – Three Steps to Reconnect with Play as an Adult 34:01 – Simple Shifts: How to Make Daily Life More Playful 45:20 – How Play Strengthens Relationships & Partnerships 51:17 – One Playful Practice to Try This Week 54:29 – About the Book: "Playful" – Science, Stories & Solutions

Episode description: When it comes to prenatal vitamins, the industry is failing women, period. After reviewing 27 major brands, Dr. G found that only two could prove their formulas were truly safe, clean, and effective. The rest? Ignored testing requests, refused transparency, or relied on influencer marketing instead of science. If you’re pregnant or planning to be, this episode could change everything. In This Episode: • The 3 safest prenatal vitamins of 2025 — and why they passed Dr. G’s strict criteria • The 25 brands that failed, including Ritual, Needed, Garden of Life, and others • Why folate (not folic acid) is critical for your baby’s brain and spinal development • How a common gene variant (found in 40% of women) changes how your body absorbs vitamins • The most overlooked nutrients in prenatals — choline, DHA, iodine, and iron • What to look for in a certificate of analysis and how to verify third-party testing • How low-quality formulas can quietly harm your baby’s brain, thyroid, and nervous system Key Takeaways: ✅ Only two brands met the highest standards of transparency and bioavailability. ✅ Synthetic vitamins like folic acid and cyanocobalamin (B12) may be ineffective for women with common gene variants. ✅ Look for methylated forms of B-vitamins, bioavailable choline, and algae-based DHA. ✅ Demand transparency — if a company won’t share testing data, it doesn’t deserve your trust. Resources: 🧠 Download Dr. G’s Product Review List — every clean, tested, and verified brand reviewed to date 👉 https://drchristiangonzalez.com/best-brands-form-2/ Get My Top Prenatal List https://drchristiangonzalez.com/prenatal-pdf-request-form-copy/

Sponsored By: → Birch | For an exclusive offer go to birchliving.com/healthyself and get 20% OFF sitewide. → Cornbread Hemp | For an exclusive offer go to cornbreadhemp.com/drg and use promo code DRG for 30% OFF your first order! → KION | For an exclusive offer go to GETKION.COM/DRG and get a 20% discount. → JASPR | For an exclusive offer go to jaspr.co/DRG and get $200 OFF for a limited time. Sign up for our newsletter! https://drchristiangonzalez.com/newsletter/ Episode Description: If you sat with hundreds of people as they were dying, what do you think they’d say mattered most? Catherine Duncan has been at the bedside for hundreds of final moments and what she’s witnessed might completely change how you see life, healing, and peace. After decades working in trauma hospitals and hospice care, Catherine has seen people find profound clarity just minutes before death. Fear disappears, light fills the room, and what truly matters finally comes into focus. The biggest lesson? You don’t have to wait until the end to access that kind of peace. In This Episode, We Discuss: • Why years of meditation and self-care can still leave you feeling empty • How unprocessed trauma hides in the body and quietly drives your choices • The simple shift that reconnects you to something real — your heart, body, and spirit • Why manifestation often fails when it lives only in your head • How feeling elevated emotions like love and gratitude actually changes your energy, health, and life • What Catherine has seen at the bedside — moments that defy logic and reveal the truth of who we are Why This Conversation Matters This episode isn’t about death - it’s about life. It’s about learning from those who’ve already walked to the edge, so you can wake up now, not someday. If you’ve been searching for meaning, peace, or connection, this might be the most important conversation you hear this year. Find Catherine Duncan here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherineduncanmabcc/?hl=en Website: https://www.catherineduncan.org/ Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro 2:20 – Why Self-Care Still Leaves People Feeling Empty 5:28 – Working as a Chaplain with Dying Patients 8:37 – How Common Is the Drop Into Expanded Consciousness Before Death 11:04 – What Happens After Death: Heaven, Hell, and Energy 28:57 – Leaving Corporate Job to Pursue Spiritual Path 33:04 – Working With Energy and Boundaries 58:49 – Shadow Side of Manifestation

Get My Top Cookware List https://drchristiangonzalez.com/cookware-pdf-request-form/ The Cookware That’s Secretly Poisoning Your Food Not all cookware is created equal. After months of investigating 21 major cookware brands, Dr. Christian Gonzalez uncovered a truth the industry doesn’t want you to know: only one passed his strict standards for safety, transparency, and purity. Most companies, including billion-dollar icons like Le Creuset, Caraway, All-Clad, HexClad, and GreenPan - either ignored requests for safety data, relied on toxic PFAs coatings, or hid behind influencer marketing. In this episode, Dr. G exposes which brands are quietly contaminating your food, the dangerous materials to avoid, and how to choose cookware that protects your brain, hormones, and nervous system. To get the full updated product list, visit: 👉 https://drchristiangonzalez.com/best-brands-form-2/ 🔍What You’ll Learn • The #1 safest cookware brand of 2025 • The 20 toxic brands to avoid • Why “eco,” “green,” and “nonstick” pans still leach forever chemicals (PFAs) • How cheap cookware releases heavy metals like lead, nickel, and cadmium into your food • The cookware materials that are actually safe and non-reactive • How to identify real transparency vs. marketing hype 🧾The Criteria Every company was asked to provide: • Full material list — aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, titanium, or copper • PFAs/PFOA-free verification and lab documentation • Third-party testing for heavy metals, lead, cadmium, and glyphosate • Certificates of Analysis for every product line • GMP or ISO-certified manufacturing facilities • Sustainability data — recyclable materials and eco-friendly packaging💬 💬Final Thoughts You cook every day—so you’re exposed every day. If a company can’t provide independent safety data, they don’t deserve a place in your kitchen. Dr. G’s only Doctor-Approved Cookware of 2025 is Our Place, combining clean materials, sustainable design, and full transparency. Protect your health and support brands that protect you. 👉 Watch the full investigation: The Best & Worst Cookware of 2025 Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:10 - Cookware Materials: What's Actually Safe? 2:28 - The Real Villains: PFAS & Heavy Metals 3:22 - The Questions Every Company Should Answer 4:51 - Brands to Avoid 5:05 - Why PFAS "Forever Chemicals" Are Destroying Your Health 6:06 - The Hidden Heavy Metal Problem 8:16 - The #1 Cookware Brand of 2025 Revealed 9:46 - What to Look For When Shopping for Cookware

Sponsored By: → Puori | For an exclusive offer go to puori.com/drg and use code DRG for 20% OFF the already discounted subscription prices. → JASPR | For an exclusive offer go to jaspr.co/DRG and get $200 OFF for a limited time. Sign up for our newsletter! https://drchristiangonzalez.com/newsletter/ Episode Description: Have you ever noticed that talking about your trauma sometimes makes you feel worse? That’s because talking only trims the branches—it doesn’t touch the roots. In this week’s episode, Dr. Christian Gonzalez sits down with Anna Runkle, creator of the viral movement The Crappy Childhood Fairy, to explore why traditional talk therapy often fails to heal trauma — and what actually does. Anna shares how, after years of therapy that left her feeling worse, she discovered one simple, daily nervous system practice that changed everything. Within two weeks, her PTSD symptoms were gone — and her life was never the same. What We Cover • Hidden signs of trauma most people miss including disorientation, clumsiness, and feeling “off” for no reason • Why talking about trauma can backfire, and how to create space for real emotional processing • Emotional flashbacks explained and how preverbal trauma silently shapes adult choices in love, work, and life • Nervous system regulation techniques that bring rapid relief and help you reconnect to yourself • Anna’s expressive writing method that helped her clear PTSD in two weeks • How trauma-driven decisions shape entire lives — from partners to careers — and how to break the cycle • The surprising power of simple movement for emotional regulation • A practical boundary phrase that shuts down conflict without drama • Talking ≠ healing. Over-talking about trauma can keep the nervous system dysregulated. • Regulation first, insight second. Healing begins when the body feels safe. • Old patterns drive new problems. Many adult struggles are rooted in unconscious trauma responses. • Healing can start fast. You don’t need years of suffering to feel relief — the right tools can shift things quickly. • Connection is the goal. Regulating your nervous system opens the door to deeper relationships and real belonging. About the Guest Anna Runkle, known online as The Crappy Childhood Fairy, is a bestselling author, trauma educator, and creator of one of the internet’s fastest-growing trauma-healing communities. Her approach to recovery focuses on nervous system healing, emotional regulation, and practical, self-guided tools for real-world transformation. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crappychildhoodfairy/?hl=en Website: https://crappychildhoodfairy.com/ Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro 1:16 – Rapid Fire 4:59 – The Origin of “Crappy Childhood Fairy” and Growing Up in a Commune 7:06 – Why Healing Doesn’t Have to Get Worse Before It Gets Better 12:20 – How Childhood Trauma Shapes Adult Life Decisions 21:00 – Emotional Flashbacks: The Hidden Force Behind Sudden Anxiety 25:26 – The Turning Point: A Violent Attack and Failed Therapy 30:43 – Expressive Writing: How a Simple Practice Can Heal PTSD 43:07 – Breaking Trauma-Driven Cycles in Work, Money, and Relationships 53:10 – Movement as Medicine: The Fastest Way to Regulate the Nervous System

Sponsored By: → Timeline | For an exclusive offer go to timeline.com/DRG and use code DRG to get 20% OFF → Cornbread Hemp | For an exclusive offer go to cornbreadhemp.com/drg and use promo code DRG for 30% OFF your first order! → KION | For an exclusive offer go to GETKION.COM/DRG and get a 20% discount. Not all whey protein is created equal. After months of investigating 52 different whey protein brands, Dr. Christian Gonzalez uncovered a truth the industry doesn’t want you to know: only 5 passed his strict standards for purity, transparency, and safety. Most companies either ignored requests for testing data, refused third-party transparency, or hid behind marketing claims. In this episode, Dr. G breaks down how to separate clean, effective proteins from the toxic imposters and why the difference matters for your longevity, muscle health, brain, and hormones. To get the full list, visit this link and enter your email: https://drchristiangonzalez.com/best-brands-form-2/ ⸻ 🔍 What You’ll Learn • The 5 cleanest whey proteins of 2025 • Hidden toxins and contaminants most brands don’t disclose • Why low-quality whey can damage your brain and nervous system • What true transparency looks like — and which companies failed to provide it ⸻ 🧾 The Criteria Every brand was asked to provide: • Source of protein (grass-fed, organic, non-GMO) • GMP or third-party-audited manufacturing • Certificates of Analysis for every batch • Testing for heavy metals, pesticides, glyphosate, microbes, and allergens • Cold micro-filtration processing (no solvents or high heat) • Clean formulas free from fillers and artificial sweeteners Only five companies passed every test. ⸻ 🚫 Brands to Avoid Dozens of companies failed to respond, denied participation, or refused transparency — including some of the most trusted names in fitness. Without third-party testing, you simply can’t know what’s in your protein powder. 💬 Final Thoughts In 2025, there’s no excuse for secrecy in the supplement industry. If a company can’t prove what’s in their product, they don’t deserve your trust or your money. If you care about your longevity, muscle health, and protecting your brain and hormones, this is a must-watch. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro & Mission 1:02 - The Truth About Whey Protein Quality 3:35 - How Heal Thy Self Tests Each Brand 5:02 - Sponsored Segment: Timeline Nutrition (Mitopure) 7:16 - Sponsored Segment: Cornbread Hemp Sleep Gummies 10:01 - Whey Protein Brand Transparency Report 11:03 - Brands That Need Improvement & to Avoid 18:14 - The 5 Best Whey Protein Brands of 2025

Sponsored By: → Tonum | For an exclusive offer go to tonum.com and use promo code HEALTHYSELF for 10% OFF! → Cornbread Hemp | For an exclusive offer go to cornbreadhemp.com/drg and use promo code DRG for 30% OFF your first order! Sign up for our newsletter! https://drchristiangonzalez.com/newsletter/ Episode Description: Have you ever caught yourself saying “yes” when every part of you wanted to say “no”? Or smiling through discomfort because it felt safer than speaking your truth? That’s not just people-pleasing—it’s survival. Psychologist and author Dr. Ingrid Clayton calls it the fawn response: a trauma pattern where your body learns to appease, perform, or caretake as a way to stay safe. It’s not a conscious choice—it’s conditioning written into the nervous system when speaking up once felt dangerous. In this raw and illuminating conversation, Dr. Clayton joins Dr. G to explore: • What fawning really is — and why it’s more than just “being too nice” • The childhood roots of fawning: when kids learn to appease to survive chaos, neglect, or abuse • Why fawning often gets misdiagnosed as codependency, people-pleasing, or “low self-esteem” • The hidden signs: hypervigilance, scanning the room for other people’s moods, anxiety you don’t even recognize as anxiety • Gaslighting yourself — how trauma survivors often minimize their own experiences with toxic positivity or “it wasn’t that bad” narratives • Why setting boundaries can feel life-threatening — and why it must start with building safety inside your own body, not just “trying harder” • The link between fawning and anger: how unexpressed rage gets trapped in the body until you learn to give it voice • How fawning shows up in adulthood: in relationships where one person takes up 80% of the space and you squeeze yourself into the other 20% • Why siblings in the same household adapt differently — one might fight, another flees, another fawns, depending on role, temperament, and family dynamics • The gifts hidden inside fawning: heightened sensitivity, intuition, even artistry and performance — and how to reclaim those without losing yourself Dr. Clayton also shares her personal story: growing up in a chaotic home, becoming a therapist and author, and realizing that even after decades of training, she was still living out this survival response. Her journey shows how awareness, somatic work, and slow, safe practice can turn survival patterns into resilience and presence. If you’ve ever felt invisible, unheard, or like you’re living for everyone but yourself—this episode will help you see that you’re not broken. You’re adaptive. And you can change. 👉 Ready to understand why you’ve been living small—and how to finally take up space? Listen now. Find Dr Ingrid Clayton here: Instagram: instagram.com/ingridclaytonphd Website: ingridclayton.com Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 1:46 - Rapid Fire 4:50 - The One Boundary That Changes Everything for Fawners 6:17 - Why Traditional Therapy Failed to Heal Fawning Patterns 11:42 - Fawning Explained: Appease or Caretake to Lessen Harm 15:24 - Self-Abandonment: When Being Helpful Becomes Self-Betrayal 21:00 - How Fawning Shows Up in Adult Relationships 30:10 - "What Do I Want?" Learning to Tune Into Your Own Needs 34:01 - The Fawner's Superpower: Reading the Room and Nervous Systems 39:23 - Self-Gaslighting and Toxic Positivity: What Keeps Fawning Intact 43:57 - The Anger Underneath: Why All Fawners Are Angry 48:14 - Finding Your Voice: Breaking Free from Performance Mode 52:03 - Why Setting Boundaries Feels Life-Threatening 55:55 - Healing Fawning: What Authentic Expression Actually Feels Like

Sponsored By: → Cornbread Hemp | For an exclusive offer go to cornbreadhemp.com/drg and use promo code DRG for 30% OFF your first order! → JASPR | For an exclusive offer go to jaspr.co/DRG and get $200 OFF for a limited time. → KION | For an exclusive offer go to GETKION.COM/DRG and get a 20% discount. → BiOptimizers | For an exclusive offer go to bioptimizers.com/drg and use code DRG to get 15% OFF. Sign up for our newsletter! https://drchristiangonzalez.com/newsletter/ We spend years teaching kids how to read, write, and memorize facts. But almost no one teaches them how to feel. This week on Heal Thy Self, Dr. G sits down with Dr. Lori Woodley, a counselor, author, and nonprofit founder who has spent 30 years working with kids, families, and schools. Her message is simple but life-changing: the most important skill we can teach kids isn’t math or grammar. It’s emotional intelligence. Because here’s the truth: If a child can’t name their feelings, they can’t regulate them. If they can’t regulate their emotions, they can’t build confidence. And without confidence, they grow up wearing masks, hiding their fear, doubting their worth, and drifting through life without direction. In this conversation, Lori shares powerful insights for parents, educators, and anyone healing their inner child: The single question that instantly builds trust: “What do you need right now?” Why the #1 parenting mistake is trying to “teach a lesson” instead of listening. How kids actually feel the energy adults try to hide and why hypocrisy destroys trust faster than anything. Why confidence is the foundation skill for every child, and how emotional literacy unlocks it. The danger of power struggles and how to replace them with collaboration and respect. How triggers from our own childhood show up in parenting, and why conscious reflection matters more than perfection. Why kids are more autonomous and aware than we think and how to honor that without losing healthy boundaries. How emotional intelligence is a muscle that gets stronger with practice, for kids and adults. The story of Lori’s nonprofit All It Takes, co-founded with her daughter, that’s bringing these tools to schools, educators, and families around the world. This isn’t just a parenting conversation. It’s about building the kind of emotional literacy that shapes resilient kids, healthier families, and even stronger communities. If you’ve ever wished your child or even your inner child had more confidence, resilience, and self-trust, this episode could change everything. 👉 Listen now and learn how to raise (and become) emotionally intelligent humans. Find Dr. Lori Woodley here:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lori.woodley/?hl=enWebsite - https://www.selmuscles.com/ Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction2:07 - Rapid Fire8:32 - The 2018 Study That Broke Thyroid Care14:18 - The Essential Thyroid Panel Your Doctor Should Order25:14 - The One Symptom That Screams Thyroid Problem28:16 - Hidden Drivers34:17 - Foods That Trigger Thyroid Inflammation40:05 - The Thyroid-Fertility Crisis No One Talks About44:48 - What It Really Feels Like When Your Thyroid Comes Back Online49:40 - Best Bang-for-Buck Thyroid Interventions

Sponsored By: → BiOptimizers | For an exclusive offer go to bioptimizers.com/drg and use code DRG to get 15% OFF. → KION | For an exclusive offer go to GETKION.COM/DRG and get a 20% discount. Sign up for our newsletter! https://drchristiangonzalez.com/newsletter/ Episode Description: Exhausted no matter how much you sleep? Struggling with brain fog, stubborn weight, thinning hair, or mood swings; only to hear your doctor say, “Everything looks normal”? You’re not alone. Millions of people are being dismissed because the medical system is wired to miss what’s really happening. Lab ranges are too broad. Subtle red flags get ignored. And for women especially, symptoms are too often brushed off as stress, hormones, or aging. This week on Heal Thy Self, Dr. G sits down with McCall McPherson, nationally recognized clinician and founder of Modern Thyroid Clinic, to expose the hidden epidemic of undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction. You’ll learn why standard medicine misses it, the early signs you need to catch (like thinning eyebrows, high cholesterol, and even feeling cold all the time), and how Hashimoto’s remission is possible when you address the root causes. We also dive into why “get off your meds” promises are false hope, how trendy hacks like cold plunges can backfire, and the overlooked emotional side of thyroid health: from repression to losing your voice. In this episode you’ll discover: • Why thyroid dysfunction often goes undiagnosed for years • The flaws in “normal” lab ranges that keep patients suffering • Overlooked symptoms that point to hidden thyroid issues • Why women are disproportionately dismissed and gaslit by medicine • How Hashimoto’s remission is possible with the right approach • The danger of chasing “get off meds” promises • When popular wellness trends, like cold plunges, can make things worse • The emotional link between thyroid health, repression, and using your voice If you’ve ever felt unheard or stuck with symptoms no one can explain, this conversation will finally connect the dots, and give you a new path forward. 🎧 Listen now to uncover what your doctor might be missing. Find McCall McPherson here: Instagram Website Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 2:07 - Rapid Fire 8:32 - The 2018 Study That Broke Thyroid Care 14:18 - The Essential Thyroid Panel Your Doctor Should Order 25:14 - The One Symptom That Screams Thyroid Problem 28:16 - Hidden Drivers 34:17 - Foods That Trigger Thyroid Inflammation 40:05 - The Thyroid-Fertility Crisis No One Talks About 44:48 - What It Really Feels Like When Your Thyroid Comes Back Online 49:40 - Best Bang-for-Buck Thyroid Interventions