• W&B #13: SOLO Episode - How Justine Maintains Digestive Health When Busy & On The Go (SERIES)
    Jun 8 2024

    Three Osteopathic Practitioners' Holistic Perspectives on Health, Mindset, Movement, Longevity, Beauty & more.


    Continuing on our digestion series, today’s solo episode features Justine’s tips for maintaining digestive health while on the go. As a mom of two twin boys, an active intramural athlete and practicing clinician with an online business living between two locations— Justine knows busy.


    Tips Justine lives by:

    • Prioritizing hydration to aid digestion and curb hunger cravings
    • Drinking your greens
    • Pre-trip shopping: bring healthy food to make smart choices accessible when you travel
    • Avoid eating late at night (and how to set yourself up ahead of time to avoid the temptation)
    • General digestive health tips: incorporating fibre rich foods into your diet to balance your plate (and eat them first!)
    • Manage stress to maintain the body’s ability to digest


    We're passionate about showcasing Osteopathy as an integral part of healthcare. As well as other alternative practices that share the common goal of staying proactive when it comes to health. Want to get inspired to take your health into your own hands? Discover how small, intentional changes have great effects on how we move through life. We cover it all!

    Find us on Instagram & TikTok @WellAndBack

    Please consider Rating, Reviewing & Subscribing to our Podcast.

    Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

    ⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up⁠⁠ (⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up⁠)

    License code: CI8KXYV0EGUPVTAN

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    16 mins
  • W&B #12: The Importance of Blood Supply in Digestion: its Role in Resolution of Inflammation & Self-Repair of Intestinal Lining in IBD, Leaky Gut & other Structural Diseases of the Gut (SERIES)
    May 11 2024
    Three Osteopathic Practitioners' Holistic Perspectives on Health, Mindset, Movement, Longevity, Beauty & more. This is the second episode of our newest series on... digestion! In this episode we will cover: 0:36 Looking at IBD as inflammatory dysfunction within the digestive system; why it is important to share these and other symptoms you may think are irrelevant with your Osteopath. 3:06 What is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? And different triggers to this autoimmune reaction. 4:46 Signs and symptoms of IBD and the key differentiation from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). 5:57 How Osteopaths treat patients coming in with an IBD diagnosis vs. traditional allopathic protocols, bio individuality and its role in how we respond to different treatment approaches. 7:38 Blood circulation's role in inflammatory diseases like IBD, the two main reasons why we believe blood supply is so important for a healthy digestive system. 9:07 What does our osteopathic principle of self healing mean within organ systems? Looking at the importance of self healing within the intestines, especially for leaky gut, and why we believe osteopathy’s role in freeing blood supply and drainage should be one of the first steps in gut healing protocols. 13:53 Where the blood supply to the digestive system is coming from, visualizing its path through the body, how movements of the spine, breathing mechanics, and muscular lines of force from the shoulders and hips can directly affect blood supply to the intestines. 17:43 Where we start when someone first comes into our clinics, in general and in regards to dysfunctional digestion. Why we don’t go directly to the area of dysfunction for longer lasting results, and why visceral work is often the final piece of the puzzle. 22:10 Why every tissue in the body and its functioning is related to the spine either neurologically or structurally.
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    25 mins
  • W&B #11: Digestion & the Nervous System- Anatomy of the GI Tract and Where Things Can Surprisingly Go Wrong; How Stress Impacts Motility; IBS; the Gut-Brain Connection (SERIES)
    May 3 2024

    Three Osteopathic Practitioners' Holistic Perspectives on Health, Mindset, Movement, Longevity, Beauty & more.


    After taking some time away from recording to maintain our practices and professional development, we warmly welcome you to our newest series on... DIGESTION!

    A highly anticipated, grossly underrated, and slightly taboo topic that is deserving of all the attention. In this episode we will cover:

    0:30- Digestive stats, why our osteopathic structural approach should be the first step in tackling gut issues

    5:25- How the digestive system works: anatomy of the GI tract

    7:25- Intro to IBS: importance of the rate of digestion, and how a spoonful of sesame seeds can flag and help track your own motility

    10:12- The autonomic nervous system and its parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions control motility. Why a balance of the two is crucial for healthy digestion

    11:58 What an excess sympathetic state looks like vs prolonged parasympathetic state; why both should be balanced before or alongside supplementation / diet changes

    13:40 Specific nerves of the PNS: the vagus nerve and pelvic (splanchnic nerves); how tech neck, neck tension/restriction could impact these nerves and in turn digestion

    16:05 Why hip and pelvic dysfunction can disturb these nerves

    17:25- Why the "fusebox" of the body should never be ignored when systems functions go awry! Would you buy all new light bulbs before checking the source of power? controls all of our organs functions: the spine.

    18:24- Recognizing the brain gut connection (& why its legit!); vicious cycle of stress on digestion

    19:54- Heightened stress states; what they tell us and what they don’t have to

    23:40- At home tips we give to patients with IBS symptoms

    25:03- Children’s digestion— potty training, constipation, the potential emotional stress or physical anatomical stress involved

    26:20- Working all along the spine in different ways- utilizing inhibition and stimulation along the spine, the sympathetic nervous system’s means of communication along the spine and ribs in our mid back

    29:08- Commonly diagnosed spinal issues (herniated discs, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis) and how they can be affecting your digestion more than you knew

    32:50- Our tips on movements and hands on assessment post meal and in times of digestive upset, working to stimulate the vagus nerve via breath work, and inhibit sympathetic nerves energetically with mindfulness and expansion through the mid spine and body

    And finally, how we can help balance our body’s pressure gradients


    We're passionate about showcasing Osteopathy as an integral part of healthcare. As well as other alternative practices that share the common goal of staying proactive when it comes to health. Want to get inspired to take your health into your own hands? Discover how small, intentional changes have great effects on how we move through life. We are going to cover it all!

    Find us on Instagram & TikTok @WellAndBack

    Please consider Rating, Reviewing & Subscribing to our Podcast.

    Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

    ⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up⁠⁠ (⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up⁠)


    License code: CI8KXYV0EGUPVTAN

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    37 mins
  • W&B #10: New Years Exclusive PART 3: Tips & Take-Aways To Have Your Best Year
    Jan 2 2024

    Three Osteopathic Practitioners' Holistic Perspectives on Health, Mindset, Movement, Longevity, Beauty & more.


    This is the third (and final) episode of our New Year's Exclusive Series. We get right to the point and each give our one tangible take-away for how to set up the year to achieve all of your intentions, no matter how big or how small.


    We're passionate about showcasing Osteopathy as an integral part of healthcare. As well as other alternative practices that share the common goal of staying proactive when it comes to health. Want to get inspired to take your health into your own hands? Discover how small, intentional changes have great effects on how we move through life. We are going to cover it all!

    Find us on Instagram & TikTok @WellAndBack

    Please consider Rating, Reviewing & Subscribing to our Podcast.

    Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

    ⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up⁠⁠ (https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up)

    License code: CI8KXYV0EGUPVTAN

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    8 mins
  • W&B #9: New Years Exclusive PART 2: Lessons, Reframing Resolutions To Health & Lifestyle Intentions, And Finding Contentment Along The Way
    Jan 2 2024

    Three Osteopathic Practitioners' Holistic Perspectives on Health, Mindset, Movement, Longevity, Beauty & more.


    This is the second episode of our New Year's Exclusive Series. We discuss lessons from last year and intentions for this year. Rather than "resolutions", we lay out the path to our goals, flip the script on messiness in the pursuit & how to reframe to find contentment within.

    Today's episode unpacks our GIRLY goals, focusing on nails, limiting toxicity exposure in self-care activities, cycle tracking, hormone balancing and pre-pregnancy planning. It's all about finding key ways to create an environment conducive to the habits and behaviours you want to promote.


    We're passionate about showcasing Osteopathy as an integral part of healthcare. As well as other alternative practices that share the common goal of staying proactive when it comes to health. Want to get inspired to take your health into your own hands? Discover how small, intentional changes have great effects on how we move through life. We are going to cover it all!

    Find us on Instagram & TikTok @WellAndBack

    Please consider Rating, Reviewing & Subscribing to our Podcast.

    Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

    ⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up⁠⁠ (https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up)

    License code: CI8KXYV0EGUPVTAN

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    17 mins
  • W&B #8: New Years Exclusive PART 1: Reflections on 2023
    Jan 1 2024

    Three Osteopathic Practitioners' Holistic Perspectives on Health, Mindset, Movement, Longevity, Beauty & more.


    Todays episode is the first of our New Year's Exclusive Series. We sit down and reflect on the past year, lessons, themes and the opportunity that comes with a new start.


    We're passionate about showcasing Osteopathy as an integral part of healthcare. As well as other alternative practices that share the common goal of staying proactive when it comes to health. Want to get inspired to take your health into your own hands? Discover how small, intentional changes have great effects on how we move through life. We are going to cover it all!

    Find us on Instagram & TikTok @WellAndBack

    Please consider Rating, Reviewing & Subscribing to our Podcast.

    Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

    ⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up⁠⁠ (https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up)

    License code: CI8KXYV0EGUPVTAN

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    31 mins
  • W&B #7: Osteopathy as Primary Care, a Spin on your Typical Walk-In Clinic; Osteopathy and Developmental Stages; Mental Framing and Mindset Around Illness and Injury | Holly Webster
    Dec 4 2023

    Joining us for today’s discussion is Holly Webster. Holly is a highly respected Osteopathic Manual Practitioner. She is a fellow member of the Ontario Osteopathic Association, the owner of Still Dynamics Osteopathy (Brantford and Oakville Locations) and colleague of Lauren’s, and an associate professor at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy.


    Today we discuss where osteopathy fits into a patient's journey to health, our medical system, and the greatest gift our profession offers.

    Together we sit down to reframe the definition of disease to highlight the impact of anatomical structure. We explain how using structural diagnosis as a process of elimination when searching for the root cause of disease can reduce tax on an already stressed body in lesion, decrease unnecessary stress on the liver for metabolizing drugs, and prevent avoidable side effects and dependency on pharmaceuticals for temporary symptom relief.


    We invite listeners to think differently about pain and use it as information to guide our intervention decisions, seek osteopathy to prevent larger issues caused by compensations, and allow you to optimize performance in all areas of life!


    This episode includes:

    1:00 Osteopathy as a point of primary acute care, a spin on your typical Walk-In clinic

    2:50 Manual Therapy as a means of healthcare (not just aches, pains and acute care)

    3:30 Complimentary forms of care and how their approach treating the patient makes osteopathy more effective

    5:25 Changing the narrative from musculoskeletal treatment to addressing an array of idiopathic and allopathic symptoms

    7:25 The greatest gift of osteopathy is body awareness and the ability to advocate for yourself

    9:30 Case Study: Osteopathy and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Treating a viscero-somato lesion

    15:30 Treatment goes beyond being symptom based to look at contributing factors

    15:45 Treating the mental and emotional association with disease; The mindset behind illness and injury

    18:30 Osteopathic intervention over the lifespan— when is the best time seek care?

    19:00 How does osteopathy play a role in fertility, conception, fetal and infant development?

    21:30 Putting out the fire. Early intervention helps prevent larger issues due to compensations

    21:45 The relationship with your practitioner

    26:30 Osteopathy after birth for colic, Eustachian tube in newborns

    28:15 No two patients or lesions are the same


    Still Dynamics Classical Osteopathy: https://stilldynamics.ca/services/osteopathy/


    We're passionate about showcasing Osteopathy as an integral part of healthcare. As well as other alternative practices that share the common goal of staying proactive when it comes to health. Want to get inspired to take your health into your own hands? Discover how small, intentional changes have great effects on how we move through life. We are going to cover it all!


    Find us on Instagram & TikTok @WellAndBack

    Please consider Rating, Reviewing & Subscribing to our Podcast.


    Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

    ⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up⁠⁠ (https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up)


    License code: CI8KXYV0EGUPVTAN

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    30 mins
  • W&B #6: Walking With Conviction PART 1: The Metabolism Hack, Blood-Sugar Stabilizer, and Disease & Injury Prevention Tool that is the Most Frequent Recommendation in Our Practices
    Nov 21 2023

    Three Osteopathic Practitioners' Holistic Perspectives on Health, Mindset, Movement, Longevity, Beauty & more.

    If there was a pill that could support your emotional health, creativity and mental clarity, sleep quality, the physical health of every single system in your body and lower the risk of all-cause mortality… you would probably line up for it, right?!

    Well save the stress on your liver and wallet because the answer is probably more accessible than you think. In this 2-Part Episode we spotlight the unsung hero of movement— Walking!

    Hear how Lauren, Chloe and Justine implement walking as a daily staple in their routines, how it has become more of a priority in their schedules, how timing of movement impacts Metabolism of Fat Stores and Blood Glucose levels in both Fasted and Fed states, and How Much Walking is needed to Lower Risk of Type II Diabetes, Obesity, Alzheimer’s, Osteoporosis, Sarcopenia, Cardiovascular disease, and Cholesterol levels.

    This episode includes:

    1:40- Our change in perspective on the many benefits of a simple walk & where it fits on our priority lists: walking as a workout itself and so much more

    4:30- Using timing of a walk to your advantage: hack your metabolism & tight schedule

    6:30- How walking post-meal affects our metabolism: how our muscles utilize food as fuel

    6:55-How the body utilizes our food sources as fuel

    7:30- Blood glucose regulation: its impact on high-risk diseases & how light movement post-meal can positively affect this relationship

    8:40- The interplay of glucose and insulin spikes in the body

    9:55- Why it is important to help our bodies limit prolonged glucose and insulin spikes throughout the day

    12:00- Why assisting our metabolism is statistically so important in North America right now

    12:43- Benefits of also implementing walking in a fasted state; utilizing fat stores vs blood glucose

    13:30- Using a morning walk to delay caffeine consumption & why this is beneficial

    14:10- Walking to lower cortisol spikes & in turn our blood glucose levels

    15:00- Why benefits of walking start at earlier step goals than “10,000 steps”, according to studies

    16:45- How walking can help against age-related declines: its effects on cognitive functioning, bone density, sarcopenia, and the association of all of the above with menopause

    18:20- Why we suggest walking post-treatment to all our patients

    19:20- Why fundamentals of movement like walking are so important in balancing the body; preventing injuries in sport and other specialized training

    21:35- Why it is so important to break up your day with continuous movement to prevent unideal adaptations

    24:30- Why continuous movement and incorporating full-body mobility assists recovery after specific strength training & HIIT

    25:20-NEAT movement; identifying and seeing the value in NEAT Movement throughout our days

    We're passionate about showcasing Osteopathy as an integral part of healthcare. As well as other alternative practices that share the common goal of staying proactive when it comes to health. Want to get inspired to take your health into your own hands? Discover how small, intentional changes have great effects on how we move through life. We are going to cover it all!


    Find us on Instagram & TikTok @WellAndBack

    Please consider Rating, Reviewing & Subscribing to our Podcast.




    Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

    ⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up⁠⁠ (https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/shacked-up)


    License code: CI8KXYV0EGUPVTAN

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    28 mins