Harvesting Happiness

Seeing Beyond Alzheimer’s: Guidance for Patients and Caregivers with Andrew Budson MD & Patti Davis

Becoming a caregiver for aging parents or someone you love can be a reversal of roles for you and the person you care for. Plus, if the person you care for has any form of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, you will need to look at things differently. There will, most likely, be challenges and opportunities in relationships that may have never been addressed before. To gain a better understanding of the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual demands managing dementia can present, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors about their in-depth knowledge and personal experiences. Professor of Neurology, Andrew Budson discusses his latest book, Six Steps to Managing Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia: A Guide for Families. His straightforward research and clinical information serves to keep those in the caregiver role healthy. He also shares basic strategies to help stave off memory loss and dementia for all of us. Patti Davis is the author of Floating in the Deep End: How Caregivers Can See Beyond Alzheimer’s. She shares a warm, personal account of caring for her formerly estranged father who lived with dementia long-term.

The Grown-Up Inner Work of Aging and Adulting with Dr. Connie Zweig & Ira Israel

Secure, loving relationships are the cornerstone of happiness. The deeper and more intimate our relationships the less we have to resent and regret as we age. Many consider becoming an adult to be a number we grow into, but our chronological age differs vastly from what it means to mature. To explore processes that assist us in overcoming our childhood triggers and unconscious shadows, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two adults who examine what creates a purposeful life as we live and age. Dr. Connie Zweig is a retired therapist and Elder who explains the key processes from her book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Ira Israel is a Coach, Counselor, and Therapist who discusses what it means to be a successful adult and the goal of his book, How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You Are an Adult.

Tasting Truth: Feeding Ourselves Healthy and Hacking Our Hardwired Brains with Dr. Robert Lustig & Dr. Robert Barrett

Who benefits from making Americans fat, tired, and sick? Big food
and big pharma that’s who. Grocery stores are brimming with
ultra-processed, sugar-laden alternatives to real food, and doctors
benefit monetarily from dolling out pharmaceuticals that only
treat symptoms, not illnesses. To determine what individuals can
do to live a healthy life and make more nutritious food choices,
Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with
two doctors who have researched the effects of processed foods
and sugar consumption. Dr. Robert Lustig uses six simple words
as a golden rule when it comes to nutrition and health. He dispels
common food myths and chronic diseases as detailed in his book,
Metabolical. And, Dr. Robert Barrett discusses the dark sides of
social media, smartphone use, and the real drug problem in the
U.S., all from his latest book, Hardwired.

The Magic of Mindfulness: How to Find Your Sacred Sweet Spot with Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh & Seth Gillihan Ph.D. & Rebecca Pacheco

There are very few things in life that are within our control. Our
perspective, perceptions, and the actions we take are the only
things we truly have control of. If we want peace and joy, we must
make them for ourselves. To explore how meditation and
mindfulness practices can guide us toward our sacred sweet spot,
Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with
three authors who use meditation practices as tools for a more
satisfying and mindful life. Dr. Aria Campbell-Ganesh and Dr. Seth
J. Gillihan, both psychologists, co-authored A Mindful Year: 365
Ways to Find Connection and the Sacred in Everyday Life, after
the realization that we are in control of our own well-being and
special moments can be celebrated every day. Yogi and
meditator, Rebecca Pacheco is the author of the influential Still
Life: The Myth and Magic of Mindful Living. She imparts her
knowledge of mindfulness practices and how to adapt them to
individual lifestyles.

Life Transformation and Energy Activation with Sarah Peyton & Melanie Dean

Traumas we experience in the early part of our life can become fear and anxiety we carry with us into our adult lives. But, patterns and behaviors that once served as successful coping strategies can sabotage our intimate relationships with others and more importantly with ourselves. To explore the mechanisms of change afforded to us by neuroplasticity and intuition, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who share the knowledge that life transformations are possible through energy activation. Sarah Peyton is a neuroscience educator who teaches about the impact of childhood trauma on our brains and how we can transform self-sabotaging patterns that carry on into our adult lives. She shares examples from her book, Your Resonant Self Workbook, about how every person can tame their inner critic and change their life. Melanie Dean is a psychologist and educator who describes the quantum physics of healing and how people can get what they want by becoming in tune with their power. She describes the process of energy activation and key learnings from her book, The Hidden Power of Emotions: How to Activate Your Energy Field and Transform Your Life.

The Exploration of Outer Space and Our Inner Worlds with Professor Heino Falcke & Colonel Terry Virts

The universe and our purpose in it remain vastly unknown. Many theories, beliefs, and reckonings exist about the “big scheme of things” but ultimately there are few concrete answers to our existential questions. To explore the impact space has on the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of humans, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two experts in outer space, professor of astroparticle physics and preacher, Heino Falcke and astronaut, Colonel Terry Virts. Heino Falcke created the first global telescope network to successfully photograph a black hole. He talks about his discoveries and his latest book, Light in the Darkness: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us. Colonel Terry Virts, a captain of the Space Shuttle Endeavor, shares how being in space has changed his spiritual outlook and about his book, How to Astronaut: An Insider’s Guide to Leaving Planet Earth.

Relieving Anxiety and Breaking from Busyness with Judson Brewer MD, Ph.D. & Juliet Funt

Do you remember the last time you had an uninterrupted couple of minutes to yourself, no pings, no dings, just a quiet moment for your mind to make its own decisions about what it wants to think about? Yeah, us neither. Today’s habitual ‘now’ culture has caused underlying anxiety and worry in many people. To discover strategies to open the release valve and alleviate anxiety’s grip on the subconscious, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who offer up ideas for those venturing back into the world of work. Dr. Jud Brewer shares tips from his book, Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind, about how to re-engage with our peers post-pandemic. And, Juliet Funt describes the strategies from her book, A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, and Do Your Best Work, about the opportunity we have to redesign our new normal.

Understanding Neurodivergent Perspectives with Joe Newman & Eric Garcia

A neurodivergent person is one whose neurological development is atypical. People with ADHD, Aspergers, and autism are generally considered to be neurodivergent. It is common for neurotypical thinkers to misunderstand those with neurodivergent perspectives in social interactions and in the workplace. To discover more about how and why we should embrace neurodiversity immediately, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who are experts on living with neurodivergent perspectives. As one of the first children to be diagnosed with ADHD, Joe Newman understands the misdirection of labels. He describes how he overcame them and how he helps parents foster a growth mindset by way of his acclaimed parenting methods as detailed in his book, Raising Lions. And, Eric Garcia recounts his research about living with autism in the United States. The research, originally part of a magazine article, led to his breakthrough book, We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation.

Rehumanize and Revive Your Workplace Atmosphere with Rosie Ward Ph.D. & Alan Willett

As the pandemic wanes and the world goes back to work, employees are re-evaluating their life and career goals. Furthermore, the great global reset has offered leaders the opportunity to transform and rehumanize workplaces by introducing healthy practices into the corporate culture. To explore the ways leaders can increase their chances of retaining and hiring the best and brightest thinkers and doers for their organizations by creating climates of wellbeing and joy, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who are experts in expelling toxicity from the workplace. Rosie Ward describes the key principles from her book Rehumanizing the Workplace: Future-Proofing Your Organization While Restoring Hope, Well-Being, and Performance and how individuals can ground and reset before reentering the workplace after the pandemic. And, Alan Willett, a Fortune 500 preferred consultant for leadership coaching, details the essential components of his two leadership books, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People & Lead with Speed: Fire Up Your Team, Power Your Engines of Development, and Make Your Organization Soar.

The Science of Eating for Optimal Mental and Physical Health with Dr. Rupy Aujla & Dr. Joel Fuhrman

We turn to science for the pharmaceuticals and supplements we ingest but few people consider scientific research when it comes to the body as a machine run by nutrients. To heal the world’s population, many of whom are sick with chronic illnesses or debilitating diseases caused by lack of nutrition, a proven strategy is eating green. To explore how we can reverse inflammation and disease in our bodies, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two doctors who have seen the effects of eating for optimal health. Dr. Aujla is an expert in food science. He is the author of Eat to Beat Illness: 80 Simple Delicious Recipes Inspired by the Science of Food as Medicine. He shares excerpts from his book and tips about how we can easily add nutrition to our diets for optimum mental and physical health. And, Dr. Joel Fuhrman shares key takeaways from his book, Eat for Life: The Breakthrough Nutrient-Rich Program for Longevity, Disease Reversal, and Sustained Weight Loss, and important statistics from his work in nutritional science that proves the connection between proper nutrition and living a disease-free life.